Cape Town - Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell has sued the Electoral Commission, the Stellenbosch Municipality, a councillor and a political party in the Western Cape High Court in a bid to get the councillor’s appointment annulled.

The case stems from an incident in June 2019 when councillor Franklin Adams of the Democratic New Civic Association (DNCA) had his appointment as a PR councillor revoked after he was charged with misconduct in terms of the Stellenbosch Municipality Code of Conduct for Councillors and the Municipal Structures Act.

At the time, a disciplinary committee, consisting of councillors from both the majority and opposition parties, was established in terms of the Municipal Systems Act.

The charges investigated by the committee include threatening a councillor, insulting a councillor and his family members and forcefully moving a female councillor out of the way. The committee unanimously found him guilty. The recommendations were sent to the MEC, who suspended the councillor.

Bredell is arguing that Adams’ party, the DNCA was wrong to take advantage of a loophole in the IEC’s rules which do not prevent a councillor whose election has been revoked from succeeding himself on the party list.