Hey, the Russians are coming...

KNYSNA NEWS - The visit of the Russian Federation Consul-General to Knysna Municipality on Monday 21 November is to be elevated to parliament with questions to be tabled by the DA over whether Russian money is heading to the town.

Dr Dion George, MP, the DA Shadow Minister of Finance and Constituency Head for Knysna, will submit questions to parliament this week on whether any agreement between the Knysna Municipality and the Russian Federation "is being considered".

George said he will also ask whether Dirco (the Department of International Relations) supports any economic cooperation and development agreement between the Knysna Municipality and the Russian Federation, or any city within the Russian Federation.

The visit to Knysna Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa by Cape Town-based Russian Federation Consul-General, Aleksei Malenko, and Vice-Consul, Alex Bakharev, was revealed in a Russian Federation Facebook post, saying, "During the meeting at the municipal council, South African partners presented the potential opportunities of the Knysna Municipality. The possibilities of inter-municipal cooperation with Russian counterparts were also discussed, particularly in the field of tourism, culture and exchange of experience in housing and communal services."

The visit to Tsengwa, who heads the ANC-led coalition in Knysna, was described as a "courtesy visit" in the post. In a statement George said the "Coalition of Corruption" in Knysna had turned to Russian money.

He further said that the visit was to "focus on local development and economic opportunities that could be fostered within Greater Knysna".

"After its invasion and continued war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, Russia is sanctioned by the vast majority of countries across the globe and unwelcome to do business.

"The Coalition of Corruption, however, will take money from any source it can. Their first action, after ousting the DA-led governing [body] was to illegally adjust the municipal organogram to accommodate the employment of eight political cronies and then to appoint them without any due process," said George in his statement (see adjacent article on this case).

"The latest action to welcome Russian money to Knysna is yet another clear indication of the depths to which the Coalition of Corruption will go to enrich themselves at the expense of the hard-working residents of Knysna.

The DA will ensure that any Russian-funded project is carefully scrutinised and the Coalition of Corruption is held to account if it facilitates any money laundering via Knysna to help the Russian government evade the well-deserved sanctions that have been heaped on it by the peace-loving nations of the world," George's statement added.

Michele Botha, chief of staff in the office of the mayor, also described the visit as a courtesy.

"This was a courtesy visit by the Consul-General and his wife and Vice-Consul of the Russian Consulate of Cape Town to Knysna," she said. "We respect the fact that the Consul-General in his visit to Knysna believed it was a matter of courtesy to visit the Office of the Executive Mayor. Any dignitary that visits Knysna should have the respect of the Office of the Executive Mayor and the courtesy it deserves.

"The municipality of Knysna warmly welcomes any visitors to our town, in the same manner that accommodation establishments, restaurants and so forth, welcome such visitors."

Knysna Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa (far left) welcomes Consul-General Aleksei Malenko from the Consulate General of Russia in Cape Town (second from left), alongside Deputy Mayor Alberto Marbi and Acting Municipal Manager Roland Butler.