The legal representatives of suspended GOOD Party MPL Peter de Villiers have opted to remain mum over the charges he faces but confirmed their readiness ahead of his disciplinary hearing commencing on Thursday.
De Villiers, 66, is accused of sexual assault and sexual harassment in an incident involving a female party member in January.
According to reports, the incident happened when he was dropping her at home following an event.
He was removed from all party activities after the complaint.
According to GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron, on February 23, De Villiers’s attorney, David van der Merwe of Leon, Frank & Partners, was served with a charge sheet.
The hearing is expected to sit for two days, with oral evidence.
De Villiers will be represented by advocate Mias Schreuder SC during the proceedings.
Herron said that the party had appointed an independent disciplinary hearing chairperson, advocate Lionel Esau, and an independent initiator to fulfil the prosecutorial function, advocate Peter Cyster.
“The nature of the allegations against De Villiers were sufficiently serious to demand his immediate suspension from GOOD pending an internal investigation followed, if warranted, by the convening of a formal disciplinary hearing.
“The party has concluded an internal investigation, and resolved to institute a formal hearing in accordance with its constitution.
The allegations and prima facie evidence against De Villiers do not create an assumption of guilt. The party will communicate the finding of the hearing once it is delivered to us.
“The GOOD constitution provides for a fair and just disciplinary process to adjudicate the matter,” said Herron.
The party has decided that given the sensitive nature of the allegations, it will, for now, not make further comment on the matter.
Herron said that the GOOD party was a women-led party, with a constitution containing a set of real values to which all members subscribe and account irrespective of their positions.
Schreuder would only say: “The legal team and Mr De Villiers will not be making any public statements yet until the outcome of the case.
“I can confirm I will be representing him at the two-day hearing and we have received the charged sheet as mentioned.”
De Villiers, a former Springbok rugby coach, joined politics in 2021, when he led the GOOD Party’s campaign in the local government elections in Drakenstein municipality, where the party obtained four seats in the council.
After two years as a GOOD Party councillor and caucus leader in the Drakenstein municipality, he occupied the party’s vacant seat in the Western Cape Legislature in May last year.
Cape Times