Knysna Municipality remains without mayor - EWN

The Knysna Garden Route Municipality has been left without a mayor or mayoral committee after Mayor Thando Matika was removed by the ANC on Friday.

Speaker Mark Willemse said his office received formal notification from the ANC Provincial Executive after Matika and the Ward 7 councillor were named SACP candidates for the upcoming local government elections.

Deputy Mayor Morton Gericke has stepped in as acting mayor, while the mayoral committee has automatically dissolved.

Willemse said the process to elect a new mayor is yet to begin. The municipal manager has 14 days to notify the IEC, which will then inform council of the ANC's replacement candidate before that person is sworn in.

"That is what the normal procedure is. So, the deputy mayor has all the executive authority of a mayor up until a new mayor is elected. If we get a new mayor elected before the elections on November 4th."