Bredell turns on the screws

KNYSNA NEWS – Western Cape Minister of Local Government Anton Bredell has rejected a request from the Knysna council for a 30-day extension of its response to his Notice of Intention to Intervene in the municipality.

This notice is the first step towards placing Knysna under administration.

Instead he has given the council 14 days within which it can provide reasons and motivations why it should not be sanctioned for delivery failures.

Knysna Council voted in favour of the 30-day breather to consider its response at a special council meeting on Friday 4 July, with a majority vote of 10 (ANC, PBI, EFF and KIM).

The DA (8) voted against the proposal with the PA (2) abstaining.

DA Ward 9 Councillor Sharon Sabbagh castigated the council for sending the request for an extension to Bredell before the council had sat on Friday to consider the request.

She described the action by Mayor Thando Matika and Speaker Mark Willemse as "premature and presumptuous in that it had usurped the functions of council".

Thando Matika, Knysna Mayor. Photo supplied

Mark Willemse, Knysna Speaker. Photo supplied.

Sharon Sabbagh, DA Knysna chief whip. Photo supplied

Bredell's 66-page Notice of Intention to Intervene, in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution, has caused reactions from political parties, interest groups and a local business organisation.

Support
Should Bredell go ahead, it will mean Knysna could be placed under administration, with the next step calling for elections in all 11 municipal wards within 90 days. The DA supports Bredell's intention.

Local public interest group The Accountability Group (TAG) also supports Bredell's actions. In a letter to Bredell on 3 July it expressed concern about the long-term financial sustainability and effective service delivery of Knysna Municipality, "which is currently dysfunctional and failing the objects of local government, as contained in section 152 of the Constitution".

TAG said Bredell is aware that it launched a mandamus application (an order to compel action) to the Cogta minister to intervene and force his office to place Knysna Municipality under administration.

"This application was opposed by the minister, the provincial MEC and the municipality, and the Knysna municipal manager appealed to TAG to delay any further legal action, giving him the space to show results for a recovery plan proposed by Province," TAG said.

TAG chairperson Esmé Jeffreys said the recovery plan was intended to stabilise Knysna, but TAG believes its implementation has stalled and provincial intervention is essential.

Esmé Jeffreys, TAG chairperson. Photo: Supplied

Last resort
The Greater Knysna Business Chamber (GKBC) chairperson, Jan van der Westhuizen, said in a letter to Bredell that dissolution of a municipal council is a measure of last resort, and typically reflects a breakdown in governance, financial mismanagement, or critical service delivery failures - all of which are unfortunately evident in Knysna at present. Van der Westhuizen said the GKBC was "ready and structured to assist where needed".

He highlighted the implications as:

All councillors lose their positions, and council operations come to a halt until new elections are held
An administrator may be appointed, taking over budget approvals, operations and staff oversight
New elections within 90 days are a constitutional requirement

"While this opens the door to new, value-driven leadership, we are also concerned about the limited time for proper campaigning and the risk of repeating current governance dynamics if public participation is low or fragmented," said Van der Westhuizen.

Jan H vd Westhuizen, chairperson of the Greater Knysna Business Council. Photo supplied.