Cape Town - In a pivotal turn of events for the Theewaterskloof Municipality, the DA’s Lincoln de Bruyn has been reinstated as the Executive Mayor, following a Western Cape High Court ruling that deemed his removal unconstitutional.

The court’s decision not only reinstates De Bruyn, but also invalidates the election of Freedom Front Plus (FF+) mayor Tienie Zimmerman, who had previously taken office with the backing of a coalition comprised of the ANC, Patriotic Alliance (PA), and EFF.

De Bruyn was ousted merely three weeks into his term after a motion initiated by ANC member Derick Appel.

Reacting to the court’s verdict, DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers expressed relief, saying the ruling made with costs sends a clear message about the mismanagement that characterised the FF+/ANC/PA coalition’s brief tenure.

“De Bruyn’s reinstatement is a crucial step in the right direction for the DA/GOOD/SRWP coalition and kick-starts the journey to bring vital stability to Theewaterskloof Municipality,” he said.

ANC chief whip, Bongiwe Mkhwibiso, accused De Bruyn of misleading the court, alleging he committed perjury regarding his status as an acting mayor.

Mkhwibiso insists the court ruling does not mandate De Bruyn’s reinstatement.

“Perjury is a criminal offence and the ANC will lay charges against Aid De Bruyn for perjury,” Mkhwibiso said.

The FF+ has yet to respond to requests for comment, leaving a veil of uncertainty over their next moves in the municipality.

Meanwhile, Good Party secretary-general Brett Herron welcomed De Bruyn’s return, viewing it as an opportunity to implement the National Treasury Financial Recovery Plan and restore functional governance.

“The litigation by the former government to prevent the new coalition taking over government was wasteful.

“We will investigate whether there was an abuse of public funds to fund political litigation and if there was, we will seek to recover it,” Herron said.

Now back at the helm, De Bruyn acknowledges the considerable challenges ahead for the municipality.

The Western Cape Government has invoked Section 139 intervention, citing significant risks to the municipality’s ability to deliver vital services to its residents.

In his reinstatement address, De Bruyn reassured his commitment to transparent governance aimed at benefiting all communities.

“As mayor, I want to assure residents and stakeholders that as a coalition we will ensure that any decisions made by the council will benefit our communities in Theewaterskloof Municipality,” he said.

byron.lukas@inl.co.za

Cape Argus