MP angers ANC over being ‘queen of Kouga’

ANC councillors slammed DA member of Parliament Elza van Lingen during a council meeting last week.

Mayoral committee member Vernon Stuurman said council should do something about Van Lingen’s actions, which he claimed were inciteful.

Stuurman was referring to Van Lingen sending letters to the media in which she discusses various issues within the Kouga Municipality.

"It seems like she thinks she is the queen of this area, who can just do what she wants to.” Stuurman said, "She thinks she can just distribute ill- informed facts about the municipality to the media whenever she wants.”

Executive mayor Booi Koerat said Van Lingen should stop telling lies about Kouga in the community. "Her actions are completely unacceptable. Unfortunately she keeps on writing to the newspapers and to the MEC.

"I am going to report her to the NCOP [National Council of Provinces],” Koerat said.

Adding his voice to the topic, councillor Phumzile Oliphant said: "It is as if Kouga has become this demon that everyone wants to grab a piece of, and tear it apart.”

Van Lingen said every public representative had the right to play an oversight role.

"If I do not exercise that duty I will be failing the voters who voted for the DA,” she said.

"I never disclose anything that should not be made public.”