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The Bitou take-over drama is finally set to be heard in the Western Cape High Court next week after almost two months of delays.
After a meeting with Western Cape Judge President John Hlope this week Judge Dennis Davis allocated the matter for hearing on Wednesday August 13.
The matter follows an attempt by local ANC councillors to take over the DA-led municipality and oust its leadership.
On June 20 six ANC councillors along with deputy mayor and COPE member Adam van Rhyner called for a special council meeting to serve a motion of no confidence in among others mayor Memory Booysen.
Bitou speaker Annelise Olivier refused to convene the meeting on July 1 as she claimed it was against the municipality's rules of order and turned to the court to stop the meeting from taking place.
The matter was however postponed indefinitely, but this followed a counter application on July 4 by the six councillors and Van Rhyner seeking an order to force Olivier to convene the meeting, claiming that it is in line with the rules of order, as well as to set aside the municipality's decision to declare Van Rhymer's seat vacant and declare that he remains a councillor until lawfully unseated. They also sought an order to stop the replacement of Van Rhyner.
The matter was postponed as the court was in recess at the time and on July 29 the court ordered that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) not fill the purported vacancy in respect Van Rhyner's seat in the Bitou council and postponed the case to a date to be determined Hlope.
After meetings this week Davis set the date for August 13.
