The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Tlokwe municipality will bring a motion of no confidence against Mayor Kgotso Khumalo and Speaker Berei Segetso, following the Constitutional Court ruling on by-election in Tlokwe, the party said on Monday.

“The DA in Tlokwe, Potchefstroom welcomes the unanimous ruling in the Constitutional Court today [Monday], that the results of the 18 September 2013 by-elections be set aside,” said Hans-Jurie Moolman, DA party caucus chairperson in Tlokwe.

“This ruling also allows the DA to bring a motion of no confidence against the Mayor Kgotso Khumalo and Speaker Berei Segetso.

“This ruling proves that voting irregularities has no place in a democracy as free and fair elections are fundamental.”

Moolman said the DA agreed with Judge Edwin Cameron’s belief that “we cannot afford to betray those who fought so hard for a democracy”.

He said this meant the current 29 ANC councillors would be reduced to 21 and the ANC would no longer hold the majority in the Tlokwe municipality.

The Constitutional Court has declared that by-elections held in seven wards of the Tlokwe municipality were not free and fair.

The Congress of the People (Cope) in North West said it was delighted and welcomed the Constitutional Court judgement.

“The Independent candidates, has won their application with costs to IEC [Independent Electoral Comission] and we always knew that injustice was done on the part of the independent candidates and the by-elections were not free, nor fair, for that matter,” said party spokesman Thabang Maduna.