KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna could be heading for new elections in all eleven voting wards, following a move by Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Anton Bredell to intervene in the municipality.
Bredell today Thursday June 26, issued a ”notice of intention” to intervene in the municipality.
Bredell sent a letter to the council in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution, which could lead to dissolving of the council and appointing an administrator, “until a newly elected municipal council has been declared elected,” Bredell said in a statement.
He said in the statement he is considering making a recommendation to the Provincial Cabinet that the municipal council be dissolved. The notice affords the municipality an opportunity to respond to the intention to intervene.
Service delivery failures
Bredell said he made the decision “due to protracted and ongoing systemic governance and service delivery failures”.
He said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the municipality cannot, or is not fulfilling its executive obligations in terms of the Constitution, or other legislation and it has not taken “reasonable measures” to address these.
The notice issued to the municipality, details the municipality’s “persistent and ongoing failures” to fulfil its executive obligations relating to delivering basic services, particularly in wastewater/sanitation management, water and refuse management.
In a number of assessments it found deep-rooted governance failures, including a regressing audit opinion, an organisational culture of fear and uncertainty, political interference in administration, critical vacancies at senior levels, and a marked decline in service delivery.
Missed timelines
On two occasions the council “failed to endorse or adopt” t the department’s Diagnostic Assessment Report together with the Support Plan.
He said after considering the representations of the municipality he developed a Consolidated Executive Obligations’ Monitoring and Enforcement Framework (CEOMEF) and Action Plan for the municipality to implement.
On 6 June, the municipal council voluntarily adopted the CEOMEF plan in order to prevent a section 139 intervention.
He said “unfortunately”, the municipality has demonstrated that it is unable to comply with the CEOMEF plan and timelines have not been met.
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