Ex-Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is back in the political arena after the GOOD party nominated him to stand once again as a councillor to replace a former party member who got the boot.
De Villiers was nominated to fill a vacancy that arose in the Drakenstein council after erstwhile GOOD councillor Edgar Arendse’s membership of the party was terminated following an internal disciplinary process.
Party leader Patricia de Lille told Weekend Argus that no by-election was needed as it’s only held once a ward councillor resigns or a ward councillor seat becomes vacant “eg. death, resignation etc.”
De Villiers led the party’s campaign in the municipality as its mayoral candidate in the local government elections in November 2021. In this council, GOOD obtained four seats.
He resigned from council in July last year after his wife, 62-year-old Theresa de Villiers, drowned in a swimming pool in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
De Villiers’s daughter, Odille Monk, died at age 28 in 2019. She had lymphoma cancer in her breast. It was reported De Villiers attended each of his daughter’s chemotherapy sessions.
De Villiers, in a statement, said he looks forward to, once again, serve the people of Drakenstein.
“I am ready to continue where I left off and will hit the ground running. I look forward to implement the GOOD plan and to grow our movement. I look forward to all the challenges that come with this opportunity and will do my best to serve my community and the people of South Africa, as I have always done,“ said De Villiers.
The party welcomed the move.
“The return of Coach is a welcome boost for GOOD and our team in Drakenstein as we work together towards the 2024 elections. We remain steadfast in our goal to provide leadership that can build a better and more equal society for all South Africans.”
Weekend Argus.
