Staff Reporter.
The motion of no confidence in the mayor of Kannaland, Jeffrey Donson, and his deputy, Werner Meshoe, succeeded on Wednesday morning.
Donson and his deputy Werner Meshoe refused to step down after it emerged they had criminal convictions.
Donson, the leader of the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), clung to the position for the past few months after calls from political parties and civil society rang out since his election in November, that he should resign because of his rape conviction.
He was convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in 2008 and he went to the Western Cape High Court to appeal the matter and was handed a suspended sentence.
The ANC pulled out of the coalition deal with Icosa over Donson’s rape conviction.
It was after the ANC had internal discussions over the matter following the furore.
A few days ago members of the Kannaland council brought a motion of no confidence against him.
Rodge Albertus, of the Kannaland Independent Party (KIP), wrote a letter to the speaker, Nicolaas Valentyn, and the acting municipal manager, Morné Hoogbaard, on 11 January.
On Wednesday members of the council voted to remove him from his position as mayor.
The council has subsequently resolved that Valentyn take over as mayor, with the ANC’s Leonie Stuurman as the deputy mayor, while Albertus will be the new speaker.