I have taken note of the decision by an FF Plus councillor in Swellendam to support a motion by the ANC to remove the DA Mayor His conduct runs counter to the FF Plus’s decision that the party will not support nor agree with the ANC in a motion of no confidence of this nature The cooperative stability pact for the Western Cape between myself and the DA leader has already reached an advanced stage and final feedback from Mr Steenhuisen is expected soon The Swellendam incident will be referred to the relevant structures in the party for thorough investigation and appropriate action The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) in the Mbombela Local Municipality (Mbombela/Nelspruit White River) is deeply concerned by the utter lack Yesterday’s EFF march to Kleinfontein was nothing but political theatrics riddled with racism to divert attention away from the failures of the coalition in the The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) questions the Tshwane Metro’s Department of Human Settlements’ decision to relocate yet another 5 200 people to a piece ❗️Corné Mulder: GNU must unite or fail — as Trump-era US eyes ANC’s foreign blunders @alechogg @MulderCorn VF Plus dien griefskrif in teen Mangaung-watertariefverhoging | Freedom Front Plus Die VF Plus het ʼn griefskrif teen die Mangaung-metro se voorgestelde watertariefverhoging van 11% oorhandig aan die .. The Freedom Front Plus is committed to group rights against affirmative action and towards a better SA for all Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail Sorry there was an error loading the audio Swellendam’s Freedom Front Plus council speaker Juan van Schalkwyk resigned from the council leaving the municipality without a speaker and again Van Schalkwyk said he refused to vote back into the mayoral seat Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Francois du Rand. He said he did not want to “be reduced to a pawn in this reckless, dysfunctional coalition”. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Monday’s council sitting was the latest in a saga of multiple twists and turns in the relationships between the DA the ANC – with Van Schalkwyk’s help – successfully removed Du Rand in a motion of no confidence the motion was based on “documented evidence legislative violations and community feedback regarding the performance and conduct of the mayor” In a series of statements over the weekend the DA and FF Plus agreed to vote for the DA’s Du Rand on the condition that investigations would be held into allegations against Du Rand and Van Schalkwyk Du Rand and the ANC’s Julian Matthyssen each received five votes There was one abstention – Van Schakwyk’s – leaving no mayor A statement by Van Schalkwyk said he had refused to cast a vote for Du Rand and claimed the former mayor had not acted in the interests of Swellendam residents.advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “I will not be reduced to a pawn in this reckless as the Freedom Front Plus has so openly and shamelessly done.” FF Plus Western Cape leader Dr Corné Mulder said the party had noted Van Schalkwyk’s resignation from the council and the party “Mr Van Schalkwyk’s conduct and resignation run counter to the decision taken by the FF Plus’s executive structures in the interest of justice transparency and credibility,” said Mulder “The FF Plus is committed to being a reliable coalition partner and will continue to fulfil this role for the people of the Western Cape.”  ANC Western Cape provincial spokesperson Muhammad Khalid Sayed told Daily Maverick on Monday that the party was not surprised by events in Swellendam The party – the opposition in council – blamed the DA claiming the party was behind the municipal instability “We reiterate our call and our stance that the only manner in which Swellendam is going to be pulled right is going to have clean governance where the residents are going to be served is through the formation of a government of local unity,” said Sayed The DA, on the other hand, welcomed Van Schalkwyk’s resignation. Western Cape provincial chairperson Jaco Londt said the party was looking “forward to the finalisation of the stabilisation pact, which will bring much-needed calm in the run-up to 2026”. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Swellendam’s 11-seat council is hung – the ANC and DA each hold five seats with the FF Plus holding the final seat. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads Swellendam has been run by a coalition of the DA and FF Plus The DA held the mayoral chain while the FF Plus held the role of speaker The small municipality has no deputy mayor violent service delivery protests over the municipality’s indigent policies saw the municipal building burnt down Daily Maverick reported that beyond the protests Read more: Divided and riven with discontent — a deep dive into Swellendam Daily Maverick also reported that Swellendam had regressed from a clean audit – but this was partly due to the August 2023 protests and the municipality’s records being lost in the fire The municipality dropped from a clean audit to a financially unqualified with findings opinion during the 2022/2023 audit cycle In December 2024, Du Rand announced that the municipality had received a clean audit in the 2023/2024 audit cycle was put forth as a reason for the successful motion against Du Rand last week Sayed told Daily Maverick the ANC was not surprised at instability in Swellendam, claiming that it had been “orchestrated by the Democratic Alliance”. advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads “The reason for the instability in Swellendam the reason as to why Swellendam cannot elect a speaker and a mayor is because the DA continues to stand in defence of the former mayor of Swellendam Municipality … imposing him as a mayor for the people of Swellendam whilst even its coalition partner in Swellendam opposes this particular mayor to come back,” said Sayed The fight among the parties – particularly between the DA and FF Plus – appears to have been brewing since the FF Plus emerged as the ANC’s partner in ousting the DA in Western Cape municipalities such as Oudtshoorn and Theewaterskloof Read more: ANC and FF Plus join forces in new local governance model in Western Cape This caused unhappiness between the DA and FF Plus which has resulted in party leaders John Steenhuisen (DA) and Pieter Groenewald (FF Plus) working on finalising a coalition stabilisation pact “The FF+ in the Western Cape, led by Corne Mulder, has been actively working to undermine governments and oust DA mayors in the province. Despite efforts by the National FF+ leader and DA leadership to stabilise coalitions, the Swellendam councillor was involved in this campaign,” said the DA’s Londt. DMadvertisementDon't want to see this? Remove ads ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Home | Politics Ousted Swellendam Mayor Francois du Rand has been re-elected to his position in the Overberg town today Du Rand was removed as mayor following a motion of no-confidence against him two weeks ago spearheaded by former Speaker and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) member Juan van Schalkwyk Van Schalkwyk has since resigned from Council “The DA Western Cape welcomes the re-election of Swellendam Mayor Francois du Rand during a Special Council meeting today Van Schalkwyk’s resignation left the Speaker position vacant and Jasper du Toit Laubsher of the FF+ was elected as the new Swellendam Council Speaker the DA can focus on serving the residents without further disruptions.” The turnout at the annual Assupol Southern Cape Koi Show held at the Garden Route Mall over the weekend was a clear indication that keeping koi is a family affair sunny weather George was blessed with over the weekend might also have had something to do with it presented by the South African Fancy Goldfish Organisation (Safga) as well as a bonsai tree showing by the Kat Rivier Kai Bonsai Club no doubt would have attracted its own following interacted with experts and replenished their collection of koi judges were hard at work determining this year's supreme champion koi With a large contingent of highly attractive fish In the end it was Richard Walker of Swellendam's red white and black Sanke koi that was awarded top honours 'Sanke' is the Japanese word for three colours Koi judge Abraham Wiggill explained the judging criteria body and size are main features with 40 out of 100 points going towards body characteristics "A big fish with a big body stands out and is attractive," he said Judges also look at the quality of the colour as well as the pattern and where it is placed on the body Koi are also judged against different classifications is not only related to age but is also impacted by genetics A large school of small koi in one of the koi ponds at the show Wiggill said he always encourages people to get a koi pond at home because children enjoy it it is beautiful and has a calming effect thanks to the water and the movement of the fish Joining a society also has the social benefit of meeting a lot of new people receives his trophy from Abraham Wiggill (left) and Dr Willie Cilliers (right) It's koi show time again! Koi show attracts many families Colourful, unique koi at show George hosts annual Koi Show ‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’  CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Western Cape said it welcomed any lawful investigation that would get to the bottom of tender fraud allegations within the Swellendam Local Municipality. Another dark cloud hangs over the DA-led municipality, following allegations of misconduct by the municipal manager in November. The African National Congress (ANC) also accused some DA members in the municipality of trying to bribe its councillor to resign and trigger a by-election. Now, the ANC and GOOD Party said a report to be discussed in council this week would reveal a R40 million tender fraud involving some municipal employees. DA provincial leader, Tertuis Simmers, said no proof had been provided by the ANC on any of the allegations it had made against the DA in Western Cape. "Given that they tend to tarnish our party's name, whatever such an independent investigation delivers, our party believes in the rule of law and the due process will need to follow. But it all starts with a formal process of initiating a formal investigation." Meanwhile, the ANC's Khalid Sayed has urged all political parties in Swellendam to distance themselves from the DA. “We stand with the residents of Swellendam against corruption, malfeasance, and maladministration. We are for a clean municipality, for a municipality where everybody who is intent on bringing clean governance and proper service delivery to our people can work together." Sections DA provincial leader, Tertuis Simmers: "Van Schalkwyk’s resignation left the Speaker position vacant and Jasper du Toit Laubsher of the FF+ was elected as the new Swellendam council Speaker. With this matter now behind us, the DA can focus on serving the residents without further disruptions." We are experiencing technical difficulties. Regular service will be restored as soon as possible. Four people have been killed and close to 50 people were injured after a passenger bus carrying parishioners from different Anglican churches overturned on the N2 near Swellendam on Friday April 28 after the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle. In addition to parishioners from the Parish of St Aidan's, Lansdowne, there were members of other parishes as well as friends and families from outside the diocese on the bus too. The most critical patients were airlifted to Groote Schuur, Tygerberg and George hospitals while referrals were sent to Worcester Regional Hospital, others were treated at the local clinic and the rest at Swellendam Hospital. MEC for Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, said Eskom exempted Swellendam Hospital from the load shedding schedule to assist the facility in ensuring round-the-clock, lifesaving services. Premier Alan Winde expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased. The Anglican Bishop of Table Bay, The Right Reverend Joshua Louw, in a letter sent to Anglican churches in the diocese and published on the church’s Facebook page, wrote: “Allow me to extend my sincere condolences to the families and their loved ones who have lost a part of their soul and add my prayers to those who have been hospitalised or recovering at home, after this tragic bus accident near Swellendam on return from a wonderful week at Carmel Retreat Centre in Wilderness. “Although the trip was arranged by parishioners of St Aidan’s, Lansdowne, those who went along were from across the diocese and beyond. It was the first trip after the Covid pandemic and there was great excitement. “Looking at the daily Facebook updates and comments, it was clear that everyone had a great time. So, it was a great shock when the news of the accident surfaced. “A big thank you to the leadership, clergy and people of the diocese of George, who graciously assisted us as the accident took place within their diocese. Thank you to the various provincial departments who played their roles, especially the provincial Health Department, who was in constant contact with us and willing to assist in any way possible. They have offered trauma counselling and I would like to appeal to everyone who were affected by this event to take up this offer.” Reverend Louw said the church awaits further information with regard to funeral arrangements from respective families. Western Cape Department of Health spokesperson, Maret Lesch, said three patients remained at Tygerberg Hospital, two in a serious condition and one in a stable condition. “All patients who were transferred to Caledon Hospital have been discharged. “Two patients were transferred from Swellendam Hospital to Tygerberg Hospital for further care, and the rest of the patients who were treated at Swellendam Hospital have been discharged. One patient was admitted to George Hospital, but has since been transferred to a private hospital.” The bus company contracted for the tour, HG Travelling, reportedly said the driver of the bus was injured and still in shock. JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it still has a good relationship with the Freedom Front (FF) Plus despite the party once again voting to remove a DA mayor DA councillor Francois du Rand was removed as Swellendam mayor through a motion of no confidence READ: GNU statement of intent requires all parties to be consulted on any matters - DA The motion was brought forward by the African National Congress (ANC) and received support from the FF Plus. Recently, the FF Plus has also voted with the ANC to remove DA mayors in Cape Agulhas, Oudtshoorn and Theewaterskloof. Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Tuesday, DA leader, John Steenhuisen, said he was communicating with his counterpart in the FF Plus to finalise a stabilisation agreement between the two parties. "Our relationship with the FF is very good. I reached out to Dr [Pieter] Groenewald [FF Plus leader] yesterday, they are obviously conducting their own internal processes which I will leave them to explain or elaborate on but we remain committed to working with the FF to provide good, clean accountable government, wherever. It’s unfortunate there seems to be a localised dynamic in the Western Cape and I think there are a variety of reasons for that." This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers A couple from Swellendam appeared in the local magistrates court on Tuesday on charges of fraud amounting to R13 797 069.73 Spokesperson for the Hawks Lieutenant Colonel SIyabulela Vukubi says 47-year-old Jacques Buys and his 46-year-old wife Annemie allegedly opened a bank account in the name of their nine-year-old daughter where funds were stolen from Sentraal Suid Kooperasie (SSK) over a period of 12 years He says Buys worked as a senior manager at the business and allegedly changed the bank account number of a supplier on the accounting system of the company The funds were then transferred into their daughter's account from 24 December 2010 to 22 July 2022 The pair made a brief appearance in the local Magistrates court where the wife was released on bail of R1 000 and her husband on warning as he is already out on bail for an unrelated matter The case was postponed to the 12th of August for the outcome of a legal aid application an exclusive podcast on the life of Vicki Terblanche Dive into the expansive world of motoring with Naresh Maharaj Join Mark Marshall as he shares his extraordinary encounters with everything from bees to reptiles i Home | South Africa Police have arrested a suspect and confiscated drugs worth an estimated R700 000 in Swellendam in the Western Cape. Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk says officers acted on information about a foreign national woman, suspected of transporting drugs from Cape Town to George by bus. “During the search, they identified the suspect, a Malawian woman, who was holding a bag on her lap. Upon inspection of the bag, members discovered crystal methamphetamine and mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of R700 000. The 27-year-old suspect was arrested for possession of drugs and drug trafficking. She will appear in the Swellendam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, on the aforementioned charges.” CAPE TOWN – African National Congress (ANC) ward councillor in Swellendam Julian Matthyssen said they’ll know soon what the municipality’s plans are for two important buildings that were torched during unrest in the town. A municipal building and a community service centre were set alight during violent electricity-related protests in 2023. Nine months later, and no rebuilding work has taken place. Matthyssen said they should find out later on Friday what the municipality's plans are for the buildings. "I did raise the question in a council meeting, and the response of the municipal manager was that there would be a report distributed to all councillors. So, we will have that progress report of what is happening and what the status is of the rebuilding of the two buildings." Meanwhile, Matthyssen said he was pleased voting took place peacefully, despite threats of disruptions. He commended the police for ensuring an incident-free voting process. However, Matthyssen said voter turnout in Railton and Maytyoks informal settlement could have been better. He blamed voter apathy and a lack of service delivery in the town. "There are some residents that refused to go and vote because of issues with the municipality, like the cutting off of electricity if you don't pay." Five police officers in the Western Cape have been awarded the silver cross for bravery at a ceremony in Cape Town The award was presented to members who risked their lives during the 2021 Swellendam floods Sergeant Samuel Piet and Warrant officer Gert Voigt were among the officers who received awards “I think I feel a sense of gratitude It’s always nice to get acknowledged by senior management for your deeds and your work that you’ve done I don’t think you should do it to get medals I think this will just be added afterwards I think the more rewarding part is the lives that are saved and people that get to go to school and live a happy life afterwards I don’t see myself or the colleagues as heroes We were instruments in the hands of the Lord.” — SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) December 4, 2024 Western Cape SAPS members honoured for bravery