Resident Mike Hampton accused the provincial government of not doing anything despite having been handed evidence of the town's corrupt activities.
Susan Campbell, another concerned resident, was called as a witness to Hampton's petition.
The meeting at parliament offices in Cape Town was attended by the petitioners and Western Cape representatives from the Office of the Public Protector.
According to the SABC report the Knysna municipality tendered an apology and did not attend the meeting. The committee and the petitioner raised concerns about the municipality’s absence, saying that while they welcomed the apology, they believed the municipality should have prioritised the meeting.
According to the SABC interview, Campbell said the council had effectively gagged the town's media by withdrawing its advertising spend from those who dared
report on its shenanigans [verbatim from the online SABC version and not the actual words used by Campbell].
According to Hampton during this television interview, he called for "forensic investigations to be done as part of administration. The politicians need to be put aside because at the moment you cannot separate the politicians from the administration, which is against the law, as you well know".
According to the SABC report, members of parliament were shocked by some of the allegations.
A parliamentary committee will announce a decision. The mayor of Knysna, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, chose not to comment when asked by the SABC, saying she “would await the outcome of the
parliamentary meeting”.
The Knysna-Plett Herald asked her to comment and also explain why she was not at the meeting.
She referred the matter to the communications department of the Knysna municipality and comment is awaited.
More information to follow as it becomes available.
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