Speaker, the ANC is concerned about the abuse of power, and the unnecessary waste of taxpayers' money in the DA-run Bitou Local Municipality, which currently has two municipal managers in its employment. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members! Order!
Speaker, I will repeat, if they don't understand. They have appointed Mr Ngoqo and Mr Alan Paulse. Bitou is now stuck with two managers, even though the ANC has pre-warned the DA-Cope coalition against prematurely appointing Mr Paulse to take over Mr Ngoqo's post before Mr Ngoqo's arbitration hearing that is before Salga was concluded. Mr Ngoqo won his appeal on both substantive and procedural grounds on 22 October 2012 and was reinstated on 01 November 2012. His reinstatement is set to cost the ratepayers of Bitou more than R2 million rand. [Interjections.]
This ruling has vindicated the ANC as it always cautions the DA about its witch-hunt of the administrators of former ANC-led municipalities taken over by the DA in the Western Cape. This issue is a good example of how a DA-led municipality has wrongfully used politics and power to shame and slander the Bitou Local Municipality manager, just to use him as an example of ANC corruption that never happened.
The ANC, however, hopes that the DA has learnt a lesson, though, sadly, in a hard way, and at the ratepayers' expense who will have to pay more for the mistakes made by their leaders. [Time Expired.][Applause.]