DA councillor to be investigated
2013-02-08 22:05
Johannesburg - A DA councillor in the Western Cape who
received a municipal transport allowance despite not having a valid driver's
licence will be investigated, the party said on Friday.
"The Speaker of Eden Municipality will launch an
investigation into the allegations against councillor [Tertius] Simmers,"
DA Western Cape spokesperson Liza Albrecht said in a statement.
"If Mr Simmers is found guilty, the DA in the
Western Cape will take the necessary steps."
The Times reported on Friday that it emerged that Simmers
did not have a licence after he was arrested outside the council's offices in
George for failing to produce a licence when stopped by traffic officers.
Albrecht said Simmers admitted to not having a valid
driver's licence at the time.
"However, the travelling and subsistence policy for
councillors in the Eden Municipality makes no mention of a valid driver’s
licence as a prerequisite for a travel allowance," she said.
Council speaker Doris Nayler told the newspaper the
councillors - even those without a driver's licence - were getting a monthly
transport allowance.
The ANC alleged that it was illegal for councillors to
receive transport allowances when they did not have a valid driver's licence.
Simmers told The Times he was being targeted by people
within the council's administration because he had "exposed corruption",
even within his own party.
- SAPA
