Child sex offender Jeffrey Donson is back on the council of the Southern Cape's Kannaland municipality after romping to victory in a by-election.

The Independent Electoral Commission said on Thursday that Donson took 57 percent of the votes in Wednesday's poll, against the 37 percent of the second-placed African National Congress.

Donson is president of the Independent Civic Organisation of SA.

Three weeks ago the Cape High Court rejected his appeal against conviction on one count of indecent assault and seven of statutory rape, following an affair with a 15-year-old girl while he was Kannaland mayor.

Judge Lee Bozalek did, however, reduce Donson's five-year jail term to a completely suspended period of imprisonment, correctional supervision, a R20 000 fine and a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders.

The offences were committted in 2004, when Donson was 42 and a married father of three, and he was convicted in January this year.

Donson lost the mayoral post and his council seat in September when he was expelled from Badih Chaaban's National People's Party.

At that stage he had dual Icosa and NPP membership, and was in council on an NPP ticket.

The NPP (four seats) currently controls the nine-member council, which has its seat in Ladismith, in coalition with the ANC (one seat).

Before Donson was elected mayor, he was found guilty in the Ladismith Magistrate's Court of indecent assault while working as a physical education trainer at the local high school.

The Constitution bars from elected public office any person sentenced to more than a year in jail for an offence, without the option of a fine.

Sapa