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BUSINESS NEWS - The United Progressive People Alliance (UPPA) is seeking an outright majority in Knysna, with mayoral candidate Waleed Grootboom and a proposed five-year programme covering basic services, municipal administration, skills development and the local economy.
The party says it has been encouraged and humbled by the reception during its community visits and wants to work with residents on the municipality’s priorities.
It argues that coalition politics has concentrated too heavily on the arithmetic of holding office, at the expense of a shared programme, an approach it describes as the “arrogance of numbers”.
Its national six-point plan covers municipal capacity, financial management, basic services, housing, community safety and economic development.
The Knysna outline includes both municipal projects and proposals requiring agreements with other authorities, educational institutions or funding partners.1
Water, sanitation and waste
UPPA’s most specific short-term target is to repair all water leaks within six months of taking office. It also proposes prioritising sewage problems and adding reservoir storage during a five-year term.
Leak repairs and additional storage would be separate undertakings: the first addresses losses in the existing network; the second concerns the capacity to hold water.
The scope and cost of the six-month target would need to be established through a verified leak register and repair programme.
The party wants retired engineers to contribute to infrastructure assessment and recovery, alongside stronger permanent technical capacity. It also proposes reviewing water planning with the relevant authorities.
Public records document the starting conditions. A June 2026 reply to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament identified ageing infrastructure, failures in water-control systems and skills shortages, while also describing support measures underway.
Knysna’s published water-services information records existing reservoirs and treatment facilities.2,3
Waste transport is another proposed area of review. UPPA wants to examine the costs of moving and disposing of refuse, and to revisit waste-management planning. The municipality’s final 2026/27 budget already records waste transport to a disposal site in Mossel Bay and a waste-management action plan.
The party has not supplied a costed alternative or quantified saving; a review would need to compare the full costs and performance of the available arrangements.4
Staffing, finances and accountability
UPPA proposes developing a second layer of leadership over the council term. It describes training and skills development for its elected representatives and, separately, for municipal employees, together with improved employee relations.
Staff development and succession planning would involve experienced employees helping
colleagues gain the skills needed to take on greater responsibility.
The party calls for stable senior appointments. Knysna’s current municipal website lists Dr Richard Martin as Acting Municipal Manager. UPPA also says it is pursuing an opportunity for Grootboom to study at MANCOSA as part of his preparation for public office.5
The published six-point plan adds detail on finances: correcting inaccurate accounts, improving meter reading, addressing illegal connections and reducing wasteful expenditure. It also proposes support for small businesses and township enterprises, fewer administrative obstacles and the renewal of local commercial centres.1
In its Knysna accountability statement, UPPA calls for transparent contracting, appointments based on competence and integrity, protection for whistleblowers and effective council oversight. Its local outline proposes digital supply-chain processes to reduce delays and make purchasing easier to track.12
Online systems would still operate through the applicable evaluation and oversight processes. National Treasury already provides for online publication of municipal bids, awards and specified contract changes. Digitisation would therefore build on existing disclosure requirements.7
UPPA also wants to investigate consolidated municipal offices to improve coordination and access to officials, with a public-private partnership among the delivery and financing options to explore. The proposal would require a comparison of construction, financing and operating costs, as well as its effect on residents’ access to services.
Education and agricultural opportunities
The party proposes seeking study and research partnerships in China and other countries for local students, including in waste management and fields relevant to municipal development. Participating institutions, funding and selection arrangements would need to be established.
It also wants expanded technical and vocational education in hospitality, agriculture and industrial skills. Knysna Municipality announced an agreement with South Cape College on 1 October 2026, and the Herald subsequently reported that municipal land had been earmarked for a proposed TVET development.
Expansion would require agreement on programmes, facilities and funding with the college and the Department of Higher Education and Training.6
For agriculture, UPPA proposes leasing suitable municipal land to local farmers and exploring growing tunnels, aquaculture and aquaponics. Aquaculture involves farming aquatic organisms; aquaponics combines fish production with soilless plant cultivation in a linked system.
Particular projects would depend on suitable land, water, approvals and an assessment of commercial viability.13
Housing, clinic access and rehabilitation
UPPA proposes reviewing human-settlements planning and working with provincial and national government on housing delivery. Its broader housing programme includes upgrading settlement infrastructure and advancing stalled projects.
It also wants to engage the authorities responsible for water and tourism on projects
requiring wider cooperation.1
The party’s proposed round-the-clock clinic access would require engagement with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness on staffing, facilities and operating budgets. The provincial directory lists Knysna Town Clinic as operating on weekdays from 07:30 to 16:00, while Knysna Hospital is listed as operating 24 hours daily.
The proposal concerns extended primary-care access within a system that already has a hospital operating around the clock.8
UPPA also wants to work with the Department of Social Development and treatment providers to expand rehabilitation services for people affected by alcohol and drug dependence.
Additional treatment centres would need to meet the relevant registration and service requirements.9
Road maintenance and public safety
The party proposes stronger internal capacity to maintain roads, with particular attention to road markings in township areas. Its wider safety programme also includes public lighting, visible municipal law enforcement and community safety structures.1
For the central business district, UPPA proposes an integrated CCTV surveillance and
incident-response system. This would connect cameras and monitoring facilities with response arrangements developed through partnerships. The stated aim is to improve safety for residents, workers, businesses and visitors.
Coverage, operating costs, access to footage and coordination with law enforcement would need to be settled as part of the system’s design. The distinction between recording incidents and arranging a response is central to how such a service would operate.14
Community projects and implementation
In its own published accounts, UPPA describes rebuilding work after a house fire, a Ward 11 road intervention, food support, meals for matric learners, and sporting and cultural activities.
Its security-training update reports that 100 people were selected and says training and certificate costs are covered. The rebuilding update describes work still in progress.10,11
The proposed governing programme would have to be translated into budgets, implementation schedules and agreements with the institutions responsible for delivery.
Those decisions would provide a basis for assessing progress over the council term, including whether repairs are completed, services improve and expenditure can be accounted for.
The party’s published statements and community reports are available at www.uppawillfixit.co.za.
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