Knysna by elections meet your ward 9 and 10 candidates
After two wards in the Knysna Municipality have been left rudderless for months, the race is on after political parties announced their candidates for the Ward 9 and 10 by-elections on 11 November.
The vacancies for ward councillors came in the wake of former mayor Mark Willemse’s dismissal from the DA and subsequent removal as Ward 9 councillor last year October – which left the ward leaderless for nearly a year – as well as the sudden resignation of Ward 10 councillor Peter Myers in May this year.
Willemse, as an independent candidate, will look to be re-elected in his former Ward 9 where he will stand against the DA’s Sharon Sabbagh, while Peter Bester for the DA will be contesting the position of Ward10 councillor against Knysna Independent Movement (Kim) founding member Susan Campbell and Jackie Du Toit of the FF+.
The ANC, ACDP and Cope will not be contesting the by-elections.
Sharon Sabbagh (DA), Ward 9
Sabbagh has been a property owner in Ward 9 since 2011. She served a full term as DA councillor in Johannesburg from 2006 to 2011, and as a member of the Section 79 finance committee. Sabbagh holds a B Compt degree since 1996 and has worked in the field of forensic accounting. She will be competing against former Ward 9 councillor and mayor Mark Willemse.
Mark Willemse (Independent), Ward 9
Willemse was elected as Ward 9 councillor in 2015 following the resignation of Michelle Wasserman. He served as Speaker of Garden Route District Municipality from 2016 until he was elected to the position of Knysna mayor in June 2018 after a vote of no confidence against former mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies.
He has applied for leave to appeal the Supreme Court decision to depose him as mayor last year.
Mark Willemse
Susan Campbell (Kim), Ward 10
Campbell is a non-practising attorney and a resident of Ward 10 since 2007.
Campbell contested the Ward 5 by-elections shortly after establishing the Knysna Independent Party last year and secured 75% of the votes in Brenton and Belvidere.
She is the current chair of the Knysna Ratepayers’ Association and has been attending council meetings since 2013, from which time she has been actively involved in combating corruption and maladministration in local government.
Susan Campbell
Peter Bester (DA), Ward 10
A Ward 10 resident, Bester is involved in the Sedgefield Lions Club and served the Round Table in Knysna for 14 years.
He initiated the pre-yuletide Santa Sleigh run to collect donations for children in need.
During the 2017 Knysna fires, Bester organised, managed and controlled the distribution of aid to the victims of the disaster.
He is the owner of a home caretaker service, Property Concierge Service, and the branch manager of Karis Properties in Knysna and surrounds.
Peter Bester
Jackie du Toit (FF+) Ward 10
A retired police official and resident in Knysna since 1998, Du Toit has been involved in local politics since 2016.
She has managed a guesthouse in Main Street since 2017, which helped raise her awareness of the difficulties experienced by business owners.
She is a Ward 10 committee member and active in the liaison between the community and the municipality.
The safety and security of the young and vulnerable lie close to her heart.
Jackie du Toit
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News