KNYSNA NEWS - This time last week, a much smaller percentage of punters would have bet that the EFF might emerge as kingmakers in the local government elections and that Knysna would have a hung council with no speaker or mayor elected. 

And if, at the second council meeting on Monday 22 November, the outcome of the votes for speaker remains locked on equal votes with the EFF still abstaining, the election of a speaker will be decided by a coin toss. 

At present, it seems, the political future of the town is indeed still up in the air.

Two councillors were nominated for the position of speaker at the fist meeting of the new council on Monday 15 November - Julie Lopes on behalf of the DA and Mncedisi Skosana on behalf of the ANC. Votes were cast via secret ballot and this resulted in a 10-10 split between the candidates. 

EFF councillor Neil Louw abstained from voting as he has not yet received a mandate from his party regarding whom the EFF will enter into a coalition with. The meeting was immediately adjourned as it cannot continue until a speaker has been appointed.

Coalitions

Although anything is still possible in this volatile and tenuous situation, given the results of the secret ballot it is widely assumed that two coalitions had been formed: the DA along with KIM, and the ANC along with the PA and PBI. This would leave both coalitions with 10 seats apiece, meaning the EFF's vote could well be the deciding factor.

The same situation applies to the positions of mayor, deputy mayor and whip. The fate of the town's leadership lies in the hands of either the EFF, or a coin toss.

Following the local government elections (LGE) on 1 November, the 21-seat council was split six ways - DA eight seats; ANC seven seats; KIM and PA two seats each; PBI and EFF one seat each. The results made it clear that coalitions would have to be formed to gain a majority governance for either the DA or ANC.

Negotiations begun in earnest with each party laying its cards on the table to pick the hand that suits them (and hopefully the town) the best.

Exactly two weeks after the LGE, the inaugural council meeting was held at the Knysna council chambers on Monday.

The municipality's manager of legal services and acting director of corporate services Melony Paulsen conducted the swearing in of the councillors.

Not only is it the most diverse council the town has ever seen, but more than half of the councillors are serving for the first time, with only eight having previously occupied a seat. The new council also features the youngest person ever to serve in the Knysna council - Jason White, who is 23 years old. KPH will tell readers more about White in next week's edition.

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