DA slams Kouga speaker for ‘stifling debate’

THE speaker of the highly contested Kouga Municipality has been lambasted by the DA for allegedly shutting down the opposition party’s attempts to debate the state of governance in Jeffreys Bay and surrounding towns.

The party has written to Kouga municipality speaker Magdalene Dlomo demanding to know why she had allowed only ANC councillors to speak during a debate about the annual and auditor-general’s reports last month.

It has also written to mayor Daphney Kettledas and municipal manager Sidney Fadi, complaining about the way Dlomo handled the last council meeting.

In the letter, DA caucus leader Joseph Cawood wrote: “The speaker did not allow any DA member to address the meeting on the draft annual report, the auditor-general’s recent report and the draft mid-year financial report.

“Instead of allowing a debate or contributions by any DA member, she unilaterally ruled that if any DA councillor wishes to make a contribution it must be done in written form and addressed to the municipal manager,” Cawood said.