Faizel Cassim to Vacate Newcastle Municipality After Dismissal by ActionSA

In a sudden and unexpected turn of events within Newcastle’s political landscape, Councillor Faizel Cassim of the Newcastle Municipality has been dismissed as the leader of the Newcastle caucus of ActionSA, and he is now required to vacate his seat within the local municipality.

This decision came to light on Monday, 11 November 2024, when ActionSA’s National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont, issued an official statement outlining the reasons behind the move.

According to Beaumont, the dismissal follows an extensive investigation by ActionSA’s Senate, which culminated in the termination of Cassim’s membership due to several serious charges. These include, among others, failing to address a conflict of interest related to his role in the municipality and allegedly misusing his position to serve his personal interests.

In his statement, Beaumont provided details on the situation, stating, “The charges relate to ongoing litigation between Mr Cassim’s company and the Newcastle Local Municipality arising from the actions of the previous ANC-led administration shutting down his place of business for approximately 18 months because of what was believed to be politically motivated actions. In the wake of these events, Mr Cassim pursued legal action against the municipality, which ActionSA acknowledges is his right in a constitutional democracy.”

However, Beaumont made it clear that the matter leading to Cassim’s dismissal extended beyond the litigation. It was specifically his failure to declare a conflict of interest while serving in key roles, including as a member of the municipality’s Executive Committee and ActionSA’s caucus leader, that raised serious concerns. Beaumont emphasised, “In the second instance, Mr Cassim appears to have used his positions of authority to advance the settlement of his own legal matter in a manner that was against the best interests of the residents of Newcastle Local Municipality and, allegedly, in a manner inconsistent with municipal legislation, the ActionSA Constitution and principles of good governance.”

Beaumont further explained that ActionSA’s investigation revealed that, in addition to the legal action for loss of revenue, the municipality had voluntarily agreed to settle R1.2 million in legal fees owed to Cassim in March 2023, which was made an order of court.

Beaumont noted, “The fact that this was paid without any evidence presented of a resolution or record in council, which is required by law, and without any measures to disclose or mitigate an obvious conflict of interest, is of serious concern to ActionSA.”

Following these revelations, Beaumont made it clear that, alongside dismissing Cassim, ActionSA would also lodge complaints with the Public Protector and the Auditor-General to ensure that these matters were thoroughly investigated. He concluded by expressing regret over the entire situation, stating, “ActionSA regrets the manner in which the name of our Party has been used to advance personal interests in a manner which conflicts with principles of good governance, as well as ActionSA’s commitment to ethical service. It is equally of concern the manner in which this matter has been handled by politicians and in political settings contrary to the advice and apparent objections of municipal officials.”

Beaumont finished by offering an apology to the residents of Newcastle and reaffirmed that ActionSA’s commitment to ethical leadership would be demonstrated through their decisive action. “ActionSA extends our sincere apologies to the residents of Newcastle Local Municipality while offering the important assurance that ActionSA’s commitment to ethical leadership should be measured by how decisively and openly we address breaches of the public trust – a standard we venture we continue to set the standard across political parties.”

In stark contrast to ActionSA’s stance, Cassim has strongly rejected the allegations against him, calling them a “witch hunt” and asserting that the charges are nothing more than lies. Reflecting on the legal battle he pursued after the previous administration took him to court, Cassim explained that he had followed the correct legal procedures throughout the ordeal.

“The R1.2 million that was mentioned, was the legal fees that the Municipality was ordered to pay my company. As I am fully aware of the Municipality’s financial standing, I agreed for the Municipality to pay it off over three months. After the Municipality withdrew their case and myself and my business were found innocent, I opened a case to sue the Municipality for the damages and loss of income that my business faced during the 18 months that it was closed. I told Herman Mashaba, the leader of ActionSA, about my intentions, and he did not say anything about it. Also, I was a part-time councillor at the time and never used my position for political interference.”

Now facing the prospect of being ousted from the Newcastle Municipality, Cassim pledged to take legal action against ActionSA, insisting that the decision to dismiss him was unfounded and unjust. “I have the necessary legal documents that show I did everything legally and to the book. They have no grounds to do to me what they did,” Cassim stressed.

It is important to note that the legal dispute between Cassim and the Newcastle Municipality dates back to September 2021. This began after Newcastillian News reported on “magical foam” emerging from the Amcor Dam, which was believed to have been caused by pollution, potentially involving chemicals flowing into the dam. However, at that time, the municipality accused Cassim’s laundry company of causing pollution that led to the foam, which they claimed was a deliberate attempt to provoke public outrage.

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Following the legal action against him, Cassim’s laundry business was closed for 18 months under the former Newcastle Mayor, Dr Ntuthoko Mahlaba’s leadership. Cassim had been vying for the mayoral seat at the time, and he believed that the municipality’s actions were part of a smear campaign to discredit him.

In early 2022, the Newcastle Municipality officially withdrew its case, but the damage to Cassim’s business had already been done. The prolonged closure led to substantial financial losses, and Cassim was forced to lay off several employees.

As the Newcastle Municipality now bids farewell to Cassim due to ActionSA’s steps to dismiss him, and Cassim now prepping to take on ActionSA, what are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.