KNYSNA NEWS - A memorandum addressing alleged "unequal treatment and exclusion" of Brackenhill and other forestry settlements in the greater Knysna area, has challenged the current Integrated Development Planning (IDP) and budget allocations.
Brackenhill resident Baren Saayman said that Knysna "cannot claim to be an inclusive town while it maintains a two-tier system of citizenship".
Based on information he has collated, he said there was "a disturbing pattern of structural inequality ... where Brackenhill and other forestry settlements including Diepwalle and Buffelsnek are being relegated to a permanent underclass status".
While other wards receive community-building infrastructure, these areas are provided only with the bare minimum for survival, he stated.
Saayman questioned how the municipa-lity justifies millions spent on recreational "nice-to-haves" for affluent areas, while Brackenhill residents lack a single indoor space for community assembly or youth development.
"By excluding Brackenhill from community development infrastructure, the municipality is failing to address the cycle of poverty," he said in the memorandum.
"Without libraries or skills centres, the youth of the forestry settlements are being denied the tools for upward mobility."
"The inequality within Ward 9 is perhaps the most staggering in the entire Knysna Municipality.
"Where Leisure Isle and the Heads benefit from luxury-tier upgrades, including synthetic athletics tracks, indoor swimming pools, gym expansions, timber walkway extensions, and solar-backed intersection lighting, Brackenhill receives no social infrastructure. There are no sports facilities, no library upgrades, no play parks."
Land-ownership
Ward 9 Councillor Sharon Sabbagh called Saayman's comments "political posturing" and creating a "false sense of hope" for communities of the forestry villages.
She said the areas referred to are privately owned by PG Bison and MTO. "The municipality does not have a mandate to provide services without the support of the property owner."
She said a process is currently under way to transfer 27,5ha of donated, privately owned land to approved beneficiaries, which will benefit communities who are entitled to the land.
Meetings have been held over the last three years with various stakeholders in the Brackenhill area to determine how many residential properties will be established and what services, amenities or other developments would be included.
No merit
In response to questions from Knysna-Plett Herald, Christopher Bezuidenhout, Knysna's communications manager, said that there is no merit to Saayman's claim.
"In line with the normal process followed during the IDP cycle, all communities are included and afforded the opportunity to participate.
Brackenhill forms part of Ward 9, and this ward was officially visited on 27 November 2025 as part of the consultation process.
The needs of the Brackenhill settlement are reflected in the ward's Top Five priorities, as determined by the community itself."
He said it is important to note that while the municipality does provide certain levels of service, this is limited by factors such as property ownership and applicable legislation, including the Municipal Finance Management Act. "The proposed transfer of these settlements to the municipality is a complex and regulated process, "but engagements in this regard are ongoing".
Land tenure
Saayman said in his memorandum: "I also reject the historical excuse that service delivery is hindered by the private or national ownership of forestry land. The Constitution and the Municipal Systems Act definitely do not permit the discrimination of residents based on land tenure."
He demanded the immediate drafting and public disclosure of memorandums of agreement and understanding between Knysna Municipality and the Department of Forestry or private owners.
"Ownership does not absolve the municipality of its obligation to provide for the dignity and development of its citizens," said Saayman.
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