Bloemfontein – The Northern Cape government and the ANC were pushing ahead on Tuesday to take control of the Nama Khoi municipality in the Northern Cape.

The African National Congress won a by-election in the embattled municipality, based in Springbok in May 2013, taking control from an opposition party coalition council.

Northern Cape co-operative governance MEC Alvin Botes announced that a special council meeting had been called for Thursday to constitute a new council.

Botes, who was invited to address the meeting, said he would propose the new council institute various investigations against officials appointed by the previous council.

Provincial ANC secretary Zumani Saul said the party was happy with Botes’ decision to constitute a new council this week. The setting up of the new council had been delayed due to a court application against the MEC, to stop him interfering with the council. The court found against the council earlier this month.

Saul said the ANC supported and welcomed the MEC’s proposal for an investigation into the municipal manager. Botes said he would propose the council launch and finalise an investigation against municipal manager Aubrey Baartman.

The reason was that Baartman apparently did not have the proper qualifications for the post.

Baartman was appointed after the Congress of the People and the Democratic Alliance took over the municipality in 2011.

The ANC further supported Botes’ proposal for an audit of the qualifications of all senior managers in the municipality. In reaction, Cope provincial leader Fred Wyngaard said the planned special council meeting would be illegal.

He said the council managed to get permission to appeal the court’s earlier decision against them on Monday.

“Council business can only resume once the appeal has been heard by the court,” he said.

Sapa