KNYSNA NEWS - Designated drinking areas on Knysna's beaches may well become be a no-no, with a zero tolerance law taken towards alcohol this festive season, thus maintaining the status quo that has existed in Knysna until now.
At the October 29 ordinary council meeting a proposal to name designated areas and extend drinking hours turned out to be more than the council expected with a vociferous reaction from the public.
The proposal sparked 11 public participation meetings, public wrangling, furious letters to this newspaper with many of these meetings turning into heated racial debates.
A Ward 9 and 10 DA feedback meeting, convened to launch the DA's 2016 election campaign in Knysna, the DA became embroiled in a drinking debate and out of 200 attendees some were fuming about the DA's plan to open some beaches and picnic areas for 24-hour drinking over the festive season.
Today (Thursday, December 10) an ordinary council meeting was originally called to, amongst other things, also come up with a final decision on whether designated areas and longer drinking times should be allowed, but this is also a ordinary council meeting.
The already heated racial debate, where whites were accused of trying to keep coloureds off "their self-claimed picnic and beach areas", could further blow up following rumours that a recommendation would now only serve before a February section 80 directorate meeting.
Knysna's communication manager, Christopher Bezuidenhout, said on Tuesday, December 8, that the matter was not on the agenda for decision making at the meeting today, but he could not confirm if the matter would be added.
Bezuidenhout could not say if there would be a debate on changing the drinking bylaw as stated in the Public Amenities Bylaw, published in the Government Gazette on December 5, 2014 (see graphic). He said if the matter was referred back to the section 80 meeting in February then the Public Amenties Bylaw would prevail which means zero tolerance.
Click here for previous articles:
- Last public comment on drinking in public
- Council dealt badly with by-law issue
- 'The whites go out on their boats and suip, so why can't we?'
- DA dealt a stinging blow
- Residents oppose to public drinking
- Community participation on public drinking
- Public voice to determine public drinking
- Council debates public drinking
- Little public interest in important meeting
- Knysna revolts against drinking proposals
- 24 hour public drinking over Festive season?
ARTICLE: CHRISTO VERMAAK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD NEWS EDITOR
