STELLENBOSCH. – Less than a month before the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) the main opposition in the Stellenbosch Municipal Council, the African National Congress (ANC), said on Friday 2 October it would seek to remove the current Executive Mayor from his seat.

In a statement released last week the ANC in Stellenbosch said it had decided to bring a motion of no confidence against Jeremy Fasser (DA) after the party had become aware of serious allegations against him. “The decision follows serious allegations of abuse of power relating to municipal resources, administrative personnel and budget processes that were used to advance the DA’s electoral interests. The ANC believes these allegations require a transparent council debate, independent investigation and full public accountability,” the opposition party explained in its statement.

Among the six allegations the ANC lays at Fasser’s door is a written instruction given in January by Fasser to fellow DA councillors to prioritse projects that will serve as “blue capital we need to win the next election.” Allegations of meetings with municipal staff, changes to the Stellenbosch municipal adjustment budget, supposed administrative interference, and the possible manipulation of municipal funds to benefit the DA, need to be fully investigated, the ANC urged.

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The council is in recess, but a “final” council meeting by the current sitting council is set for Wednesday 21 October. At the August council meeting Speaker Quinton Smith, said the recess came at the request of council members who sought to focus on canvassing and campaigning obligations in the lead up to the LGE on Wednesday 4 November. Emergency council meeting can be called if found necessary.

According to the local ANC municipal government cannot be reduced to an instrument for party dominance, personal benefit or the preservation of a political office. The party urged that municipal service belongs to every resident. “Roads, lighting, maintenance and public facilities must be prioritized according to community needs, developmental priorities and the public interest, rather than the electoral interests of a governing party.

“The ANC will ask Council to preserve all relevant records, refer the financial and ethical allegations for investigation, protect witnesses and whistleblowers, and support independent scrutiny of the disputed budget and operational decisions.”

The party said it was calling on colleagues across political lines to support its motion by prioritising the people of Stellenbosch, the democratic accountability, the public interest, institutional integrity and the protection of public resources.In response to the allegations, Stuart Grobbelaar, a spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, said the municipality would not be drawn into political mudslinging in the run-up to elections, nor would it give credence to unsubstantiated allegations.

“If there are legitimate concerns regarding the conduct of any councillor or municipal official there are established and appropriate formal processes through which such concerns can be raised, considered and investigated. Political grandstanding and the selective leaking of private, party-aligned WhatsApp messages are not a substitute for these formal processes.”

Fasser told Novus News he is aware of “the ANC’s frivolous threat of a motion of no confidence”. He added the correct procedure will be followed to deal with the matter.

“It would seem that service delivery and good governance are such foreign concepts to the ANC that when they see it in action, it looks to them like electioneering,” Fasser said. “As president Ramaphosa has admitted publicly, well run municipalities tend to be where the DA governs and Stellenbosch had proven time and time again, that it is one of the best run municipalities in the country.”

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The Stellenbosch Municipality stated there was nothing untoward about political parties using their own internal WhatsApp groups to discuss party matters and political strategy. “We can, however, state categorically that the Municipal Manager [Geraldine Mettler], directors and/or senior managers have never attended a party caucus meeting or participated in political strategy discussions,” Grobbelaar said. “On occasion the municipal manager may have been requested to join a meeting to provide clarity or explain a specific matter relating to the municipal administration. This should not be misconstrued as participation in a political caucus or its discussions.”

In what seemed to be a stern warning to all councillors the municipality noted that all political parties contesting the 2026 LGE signed the applicable Electoral Code of Conduct with the IEC. “We trust that all parties will respect this commitment and that the Stellenbosch Municipality and its administration will not be used as political tools during the election campaign,” Grobbelaar said.

The ANC it would submit the vote of no convince against Fasser as soon as all the relevant evidence has been gathered.

For his part Fasser said the focus remains governing in the best interest of all Stellenbosch’s residents.