Kannaland is already on the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ list of dysfunctional municipalities, and now with the newest mayor and deputy elected, their reputation isn’t much better.
The council announces Kannaland’s newest leaders
The council consists of seven councillors and held its first meeting on Tuesday where the mayor and deputy were elected.
The Municipal Council of Kannaland consists of the Democratic Alliance [DA], African National Congress [ANC], Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa [ICOSA] and Kannaland Independent Party [KIP] representatives.
Alderman Jeffrey Donson was elected mayor of Kannaland, and Werner Meshoe was elected as deputy mayor. Both individuals are from ICOSA.
Donson elected as mayor even after convicted of statutory rape
The election of Donson and Meshoe caused quite an uproar on social media as South Africans questioned why criminals are allowed in such positions.
This is not the first time Donson is elected as mayor, and in 2008, while he was mayor of Kannaland, he was convicted of statutory rape and indecent assault.
In 2004 he raped a 15-year-old girl and was sentenced to five years in prison. However, after appealing to the Western Cape High Court, his sentence was reduced to a wholly suspended term of imprisonment, correctional supervision. He was also slammed with an R20 000 fine and a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders.
Meshoe elected as deputy mayor even after committing fraud
According to SAPS, the Ladismith Regional Court found Meshoe (50) guilty of fraud and “defeating the ends of justice” in January 2021.
“The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in George revealed that Meshoe submitted a false travelling claim amounting to just over R4,000 stating that he attended a meeting in Cape Town from the 16 to 21 October 2016 whilst he never did,” said the SAPS in a statement.
“Meshoe further deceitfully tried to cover his actions by convincing a friend and some of his family members to depose false sworn affidavits confirming that his vehicle had broken down during the days he was supposed to have attended the said meeting.”
For the fraud conviction, he had the choice of 18 months imprisonment or an R6 000 fine. And for the construction of justice conviction, he was suspended for four years with 36 months house arrest.
However, since he would not do a one-year prison term, he was still eligible to serve on the council.
Kannaland is the second worst-performing municipality in the Western Cape. It owes ± R14 million to Eskom and its 2019/20 audit was not completed in time. Members of the public are on the edge of their seats to see how Kannaland will do under it’s latest leadership.