DA to terminate George mayor’s party membership
If Naik had agreed to resign as mayor, he would have stayed on as councillor, but he opted not to do so, and will now be kicked out of the party, which means he can no longer be mayor.
Former George mayor, Melvin Naik. Image: George Herald
Sticking to his guns, George Mayor Melvin Naik has opted to not resign.
After receiving no word from Naik by Thursday morning’s 9.15am deadline to resign as mayor, the DA will now terminate his party membership, reports George Herald.
DA George Constituency Head Geordin Hill-Lewis said as Naik would no longer be a DA member, he could no longer be mayor as he automatically loses his seat in council.
“This action has not been easy, but has been taken because the DA is committed to upholding our commitment to clean government so that voters can be sure that when they vote for the DA, they get a government of integrity, accountability and transparency,” said Hill-Lewis.
This action stems from a forensic investigation report which details allegations of gross misconduct in the War on Waste project and directly implicates Naik, along with other officials.
If Naik had agreed to resign as mayor, he would have stayed on as councillor.
Deputy mayor Charlotte Clarke will step in as acting mayor.
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