DA head says political in-fighting is cause for poor service delivery in Knysna

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KNYSNA NEWS - DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen conducted two oversight visits in Knysna on Friday 6 November, accompanied by DA Knysna Constituency Head Dion George and DA mayor elect Michelle Wasserman, among others.

The first stop was Leisure Isle and the Green Hole picnic site and beach, where littering was evident, as well the declining sea wall along the island. Mark Sofianos, head of the infrastructure portfolio on the Leisure Isle Residents' Association committee, voiced his concerns over the litter in the area and the sea wall adjacent to Cearn Drive.

"Water is getting under the wall, and slowly washing it out from underneath itself," he said. "We desperately need to take action on this, because it places not only the wall at risk but also the residents who live along the roadside and their houses, too."

On site, Steenhuisen shared his concerns over Knysna's infrastructure with Knysna-Plett Herald.

"It's widespread across the town and it clearly indicates that not enough has been done about maintenance of existing infrastructure," he said. He ascribed this neglect in part to political in-fighting in Knysna. "It's very clear that while the political in-fighting's been going on, the basic service delivery has suffered, and by extension the residents have suffered."

Photo gallery: John Steenhuisen visits Knysna

DA federal leader John Steenhuisen.

The DA leader acknowledged that his "own party is not immune to this", stating that there have been mistakes made by the DA.

"I think there has been problems with the DA, and there's been a bit of a hands-off approach by the national leadership on some of the problems that have gone on here inside the DA caucus," he said, adding,

"I've made a commitment that I will be hands-on with our [local] government to ensure that they're able to deliver and focus on the things that matter. Not the personality politics, because the personality politics is what is destroying large parts of the constituent."

Following his visit to Leisure Isle, Steenhuisen attended the train station in Remembrance Avenue for a briefing on the revival of the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe.

DA federal leader John Steenhuisen. Photos: Blake Linder