Cape Town - The Patriotic Alliance (PA) says it is confident of a win in the crucial ward 5 by-election in the Cederberg Municipality on Wednesday.
The ward, which consists of Lambert’s Bay and Leipoldtville towns, became vacant after former DA councillor Joseph Farmer jumped ship and joined the PA.
This after the DA terminated Farmers membership, saying he voted with the ANC and caused the coalition government in Cederberg to collapse.
He was given seven days to provide reason why his membership should be reinstated, which the party said he did not do.
Farmer told the Cape Times on Tuesday that he left the DA because they wanted him to cover up corruption and fraud.
“They wanted me to cover up corruption and fraud of the former mayor Ruben Richards. The DA wanted to sweep that under the carpet with a majority vote. Then they suspended me without a process. They said I am suspended (from) the party with immediate effect, that is Tertuis Simmers exact words,” he said.
Farmer said he then joined the PA because he believes he can achieve more for the ward.
“I choose the PA because they are more about community activism and the community than politics. The DA does not care about the most rural areas, it’s just about enhancing a white agenda that gives the DA money for their campaigners,” he said.
Simmers accused Farmer of placing his personal interests above those of the residents of Cederberg.
“Mr Farmer took this unprecedented step after the ANC promised to, in return, make him the mayor of Cederberg. Mr Farmer’s claim that he voted with the ANC in order to take a stand against corruption is untrue. The ANC are world champions in corruption. To agree with them, as Mr Farmer did, is purely for self-promotion and not to stop corruption,” he said.
The ANC and the EFF will also be contesting the ward.
Cape Times