KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Mayor Thando Matika says Western Cape MEC Anton Bredell’s notice of intention to intervene in the municipality is a serious development that merits “a clear, factual and balanced response” to the effort Knysna has made to address the town’s long-standing challenges.
Bredell issued the warning citing protracted and ongoing systemic governance and service delivery failures that Knysna has failed to address, in terms of Section 139 of the Constitution. Bredell’s move could see Knysna being placed under administration.
The municipality has 10 days from 26 June to respond to Bredell.
In a lengthy statement, Matika said Knysna has not stood still.
While the notice raises concerns, the progress Knysna has made, particularly since counciladopted the Consolidated Executive Obligations Monitoring and Enforcement Framework (CEOMEF) in June 2024, is of “vital public interest”.
Since adopting the CEOMEF plan, the council has taken “decisive action” to implement structural reforms and enhance service delivery, he said.
Over the past year, the municipality has implemented the Section?154 Support Plan and made strides in governance, infrastructure and environmental compliance.
“I introduced hands-on initiatives to reinforce transparency and oversight, such as the Friday site visits, which bring leadership directly to project sites and service hotspots.
“As executive mayor, I reaffirm our commitment to co-operative governance and invite continued collaborative engagement with provincial and national entities. For our residents, the changes that include containerised waste collection, wastewater plant functionality, smart meters and stronger governance, are tangible proof of our turnaround.”
Matika said the journey is far from over, but Knysna is on the correct path.
“We are ready to sustain and accelerate this momentum, working together in the best interests of this community.”
He said Knysna’s recovery is built on partnerships. Ongoing collaboration with national and provincial government, PetroSA, DFFE, DWS, CSIR, MISA and local civil society “has unlocked resources, guided technical responses and aligned intergovernmental roles”.
“We continue to engage with the South African Local Government Association and Treasury to strengthen municipal finance capacity.” He said these interventions by the municipality were an “unambiguous response” to support action and formal notice received over the past 18 months.
”From infrastructure rehabilitation and audit remediation to environmental enforcement and institutional upskilling, our progress is documented, measurable and continuous,” said Matika.
Among the steps implemented were: a comprehensive communications strategy; service delivery and infrastructure improvements; shown progress in water and sanitation by, among other things, upgrading pump stations and reticulation networks; Section 154 monitoring and reporting; and environmental compliance and skills development.
The DA’s Knysna constituent head, Ryan Smith, said in a statement on 26 June that the party welcomed Bredell’s move.
Smith said the DA has consistently supported the call for provincial intervention in Knysna, “due to the continued collapse in municipal services that has harmed our communities, our environment, and our local economy” which, he said, was brought about by Matika’s ANC, PA, EFF, PBI - and now KIM - coalition.
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