Meet the Knysna Mayoral Committee

KNYSNA NEWS - It is important for the residents of any town to know who serve on their mayoral committee, because they are the people with a direct line to the mayor and who advise the powers-that-be of challenges in the community as well as possible solutions.

According to Esmé Edge, deputy mayor of Knysna and chairperson of the Knysna Finance Committee, “The mayoral committee (Mayco) is considered an extension of the office of the executive mayor and assists her in the execution of her duties. Mayco members advise her on the different aspects of service delivery and support her in her work within the community, lightening the workload. It is important to know which Mayco member is responsible for each portfolio, so that residents know who to contact if they are unhappy with any aspect of service delivery. The portfolio chairperson keeps the mayor advised of challenges in the community and liaises with the relevant directors to find solutions."

The Knysna-Plett Herald would therefore like to introduce the four important roleplayers who advise and support Knysna’s executive mayor, Geraldine Wolmarans. Each member was asked to answer the same three questions:

1. What do you think is Knysna’s biggest issue at the moment?
2. How do you think this issue should be addressed?
3. What characteristics or life experience do you possess to solve this problem?

Ray Barrell, chairperson of the Governance and Economic Development Committee:
1. Knysna’s greatest challenge is to govern in such a way that, despite the very inadequate funding model used for municipalities, all Knysna residents feel that their service delivery needs and expectations are being fairly and effectively addressed.

2. To address this issue, a multi-faceted approach is required. The following are important: a) appropriate prioritisation of those needs which can be met and the exclusion of luxury items and 'nice to haves', with councillors and senior officials 'setting the tone'; b) accessing and efficiently utilising all available funding sources, South African and foreign; c) better communication with and greater transparency towards the public; d) encouraging informed criticism from the public and the media.

3. My academic qualifications coupled with my experience in business and municipal government speak for themselves. I have degrees in politics and law. I am an admitted advocate of the Supreme Court. For thirty years, I was a sales and marketing executive in South Africa, Canada and Singapore, in large mining groups. In municipal government, I was a councillor in the Joburg Metro from 2000 to 2005, the chairperson of the Knysna Municipality Audit Committee from 2005 to 2012 and have been a Knysna councillor since 2012.

Irene Grootboom, chairperson of the Community Services Committee:
1. There is currently no high school in Sedgefield and many students struggle to make their way to Knysna and George each day.

2. I feel that more youth development programmes must be implemented in the area, not just by the local municipality but also other stakeholders such as the Department of Education, Department of Social Development etc.The Department of Education should look into the number of pupils not completing their school careers due to the shortage of a high school in the area and consider opening a high school in the near future.

3. My plan is to become more involved within the community as the newly elected chairperson of Community Service. I have been residing in Smutsville all my life and know what the communities’ needs are. I had my own business, a hair salon, for seven years in the CBD of Sedgefield. This is proof that, through hard work and dedication, anyone can make a difference no matter what their financial situation or background.

Louise Hart, chairperson of the Planning, Infrastructure and Development Committee:
1. The main challenge Knysna faces is the aging infrastructure. For years, maintenance of the infrastructure was never a priority. It is easy to forget the stuff such as water, sewer pipes and electricity lines that are underground. These, however are the lifelines that keep Knysna ticking as a town. If one does not have a maintenance plan and the funds to do maintenance on a regular basis, at some stage the infrastructure is going to let you down. This is at the point where we are, due to lack of maintenance for years that is especially evident as one drives through the Greater Knysna municipality.

2. We have increased the maintenance budget from year to year; we are doing the best we can with the little we have. As the ward councilor of Ward 2 and portfolio councillor for Development, Planning, Infrastructure, Human Settlements and the Environment, it is a huge responsibility and a challenge to be part of the team that handles these portfolios. Fortunately, I work with a very dedicated team in all the different areas.

3. I am an occupational therapist and a resident in Sedgefield since 1993. I have also had a medico-legal practice from 1998 to December of 2013. I closed the practice for new clients when I became a councillor but kept it open for pending cases. I got involved with the Sedgefield Ratepayers and Voters Association in 1994 and worked with the chairman Mr Kok. He was a retired engineer and he trained me to take over the chairmanship from him. I chaired the association for 12 years and my portfolio was development and the environment. Now I play in a different league.

Esmé Edge, deputy executive mayor of Knysna and chairperson of the Finance Committee:
1. In my opinion, Knysna’s biggest problem is the high unemployment rate, which is exacerbated by the influx of people in search of work, especially from the Eastern Cape. Knysna’s erstwhile success with the development boom sowed the seeds for its current problems. There is simply no longer enough work to sustain the sheer numbers of both the skilled and unskilled workforce and this has inevitably led to a dramatic increase in crime and alcohol and drug abuse.

2. The challenge is to create opportunities for viable investment and therefore economic growth. Analysis of Knysna’s GGP (gross geographical product) indicates that our economy is mainly driven by tourism and related services and financial services. Diversification is required. Knysna needs to be seen by potential investors as an attractive place to not only live but also to set up business here. This is however increasingly being hampered by the growing crime rate and negative sentiments expressed on social media. This challenge is being aggressively tackled by Knysna Municipality’s Economic Development Department and forms an important focus of the ISDI.

3. I am an accomplished businesswoman with a strong marketing and budgeting background. I hold an Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) diploma and served as product manager for Henkel SA (where I was the first woman in South Africa to occupy that position and one of only two worldwide, and garnered a Loerie Award for the television advertisement of one of my products). I then became product manager for Willards Foods and ended my career in Johannesburg as group product manager for Pharma Natura. I moved to Knysna in 1991 and while operating my own business, completed my degree in Psychology and Anthropology as well as obtained my NQF 4 in real estate, enabling me to operate as a principal estate agent. At the request of the DA, I turned my attention to coordinating the 2011 election campaign. I was subsequently accepted as a PR councillor and invited by the mayor to become a Mayco member, I initially chaired the Infrastructure Planning Portfolio and subsequently took over Finance and became deputy mayor. I am currently busy with various modules towards a Master’s degree in Public Administration in an endeavor to better understand and find solutions to community and economic development.

To contact the Knysna Mayoral Committee members, call Luna Swart at 044 302 6353.