DA fires councillor for helping ANC secure Beaufort West mayoral chain

IN A dramatic turn, ANC councillor Castro De Bruin was elected mayor of Beaufort West, a DA-led council.

The election of a new mayor this week comes after the resignation of former DA mayor Sias Reynolds. 

With 13 seats in council, there were five votes in favour of DA candidate Georgina Duimpies and seven in favour of De Bruin, while one councillor was excused.

Acting municipal manager Amos Makendlana confirmed: “Councillor De Bruin was elected on Tuesday, 12 August 2025 during the council sitting and will assume office with immediate effect. We congratulate Mayor De Bruin on this significant election and look forward to working together towards a better future for all residents. We wish him well on his new journey.”

De Bruin is the Central Karoo regional coordinator of the ANC Youth League. 

“For the past four months, Beaufort West has been without a mayor, following the resignation of a DA councillor. This leadership gap disrupted the municipality’s work, slowed down service delivery, and left residents without the stable leadership they deserve. Today, that changes. The election of Mayor De Bruin an ANC councillor in a DA-led council is a historic moment. It shows the power of unity, resilience, and principled leadership to rise above political divisions for the good of the people,” said the ANCYL.

The DA said it had terminated the membership of a second councillor who had broken rank and voted in favour of De Bruin. 

“It is regrettable when personal ambitions hinder the recovery of an entire municipality. This morning, the DA terminated the membership of a second councillor. We hold our public representatives to the highest standards of service delivery and expect them to implement DA policies, which have a proven track record when applied effectively. A new councillor will be sworn in shortly, restoring our majority and enabling us to continue delivering for the community,” said DA Western Cape leader, Tertuis Simmers.

Cape Times