DA Knysna - Ward 7 Branch

Feedback on the crises at the waste transfer station.

Today in the Section 80 meeting for Community services the item was extensively discussed. The item will have to serve in council before a resolution can be taken.

Several suggestions were made to deal with the issue along with getting the Waste to Energy up and running.

The Municipal Manager confirmed that they received a letter from Environmental Affairs (this is due to pressure by myself, Alan Winde and prominent business owners near the site). The Municipality was given 14 days to clear the site and submit a plan on dealing with Knysna’s refuse problems. They were also informed to implement measures to stop sewerage flowing into storm drains and contaminating the Estuary.

The Municipal Manager contacted National treasury and Province for assistance.

A deligation from Province will be in Knysna on the 20th for a meeting with officials.

We've been granted premision by the MM to sit in and observe the meeting. I'll give further feedback after that meeting.

PA Collapses Knysna by Dr Dion George MP

Date: 18 August 2023 Release: Immediately

The July 2023 Monthly Budget Statement published on the municipal website on 15 August 2023, reveals the devastating financial consequences of the PA collapsing the Knysna DA-led government in May 2022 by withdrawing from the coalition to join an ANC-coalition.

The Coalition of Corruption Executive Mayor, Aubrey Tsengwa, has reported that the Municipality is facing an unprecedented financial crisis. The Municipality has a shortfall of R37.3 million with cash commitments exceeding available cash by this amount. The Municipality is, therefore, commercially insolvent. This means that it does not collect enough money monthly to cover its monthly expenses.

The report further states that it is exceptionally concerning that the Municipality has irregularly utilised grant funding for operational expenses and now runs the risk of grant applications being rejected. Multiple creditors could not be paid at year end because of limited cash flow.

Had the PA not dishonoured the coalition agreement two months into entering the coalition, the DA-led government would have ensured the appointment of a competent municipal manager, chief financial officer and other directors to bring stability to our town. The current financial crisis lies squarely at the door of the fickle PA.

Prior to its reneging on the agreement, the PA demanded that various PA cadres be employed at the Municipality, which the DA refused. The DA-led government was ousted when the PA leader, Gayton McKenzie, instructed his councillors to resign from their mayoral committee posts and effectively withdraw from the coalition between the DA and the PA. Subsequent to that, the PA brought motions of no confidence to oust the DA government and joined in a coalition with the ANC, EFF and PBI to form a new government under an ANC mayor.

The first business of this new government was to illegally amend the organogram and illegally add their cadres to the municipal payroll. These illegal appointments included Michelle Botha, former PA councillor in Bitou and wife of Eugene Botha, PA head of legal affairs. Following action brought by the DA in the Western Cape High Court, that ruled these appointments unlawful, the cadres were forced to vacate their offices.

At that time, we stated that the PA motion of no confidence had nothing to do with service delivery and everything to do with narrow self-interest; and that a coalition of corruption had been cobbled together to loot and steal.

We can now state without hesitation that the consequences of the PA dishonouring their coalition agreement has resulted in the financial collapse of our town, to the detriment of everyone.

The DA in Knysna has already approached the Western Cape Provincial Government for their intervention.

Media Enquiries

Dr Dion George MP

082 459 9342 DA Constituency Head, Knysna

Melt Botes

Provincial Communications Manager 082 431 0068
One Nation with One Future built on Freedom, Fairness, Opportunity and Diversity for All.

Well explained Sharon!

“Minister Cele, stop being a talking hat and use your powers to make a difference” – Gillion Bosman, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Community Safety.

If you agree that Cele must go, please sign our petition demanding President Ramaphosa to fire Bheki Cele here
https://www.celemustgo.co.za/

💙💙

Watch 👀 the space!

⚖️ Tomorrow the DA will launch a historic Court action against the ANC, in the North Gauteng High Court.

The Court action seeks to undo and correct what is the single most damaging ANC crime against the people of South Africa.

🚨 The DA is taking urgent Parliamentary action to scrap unnecessary fuel taxes. The R3 fuel hike on 1 June will be devastating for millions of citizens - making it hard to put food on the table.

The uncaring ANC government must cut the exorbitant fuel taxes!

Can you afford R25 for a litre of fuel? To protect you from the uncaring national government, the DA will introduce legislation to lower fuel prices by deregulating the fuel sector and encouraging competition.

Over 30% of what you pay for fuel goes to the corrupt ANC government.

🛏 | Please help keep the homeless warm during this winter season, by donating any of the following items:

- Blankets
- Men's clothing and sizes 4-8 shoes
- Women's clothing and sizes 4-8 shoes

For more information, or to make a donation, please contact Elmarie on 063 091 3767 or Cleone on 062 133 2825

Rest easy our friend 💙💙💯

✝️ | The DA in Knysna is deeply saddened by the passing of one of our members and committed activists, Donald Prins.

His positive energy, kindness and hardworking spirit will be missed by us all 💙

Rest easy, Donald!

May the holiday season fill your homes with joy, your hearts with love, and your lives with laughter. 🎀🎁🎊🎉

Best wishes from all of us at the DA! 💙

It’s 5 days to go until the 2021 Local Government Elections. 🗳

On 1 November, voting stations will open from 7am to 9pm.

Only the DA is big enough to beat the ANC; keep the EFF out, and turn around towns and cities to places of opportunity and security.

📘| A braille translation of the DA's 2021 Local Government Election Manifesto is available at DA Campaign Headquarters, Johannesburg; DA Federal Head Office, Cape Town; and our provincial and regional offices too.

Visit https://www.da.org.za/contact for details.

Get into the spirit of this historic local government election by tuning in to the broadcast of our on Saturday, 23 October from 9am.

Live from Mary Fitzgerald Square in Johannesburg, the Rally will also be live on SABC 2, SABC News, eNCA, and Newzroom Afrika.

DA Leader, John Steenhuisen, will detail our plan to save towns and cities across the country. The top-performing municipalities in SA are governed by the DA.

🚨 [TUNE IN]

The DA has a plan to get basics right, and build sustainable housing and good healthcare! Tune in tomorrow at 11am on the DA's page or YouTube channel for a discussion about the DA’s to-do list for local governments.

A vote for the DA is a vote to end load shedding, and here are some examples why:

1️⃣ DA-run Cape Town often keeps load shedding one stage lower than the rest of the country because this DA government owns and runs their own hydro-electric power station at Steenbras dam.
2️⃣ The DA-run Western Cape is putting their money where their mouth is having just launched a R13-million fund for green, renewable energy in the province!
3️⃣ And other DA municipalities, such as Stellenbosch and Saldanha Bay, are also moving away from Eskom and have begun the process to procure electricity from Independent Power Producers.

Please visit www.keepthelightson.co.za to learn more about what the DA is doing in government and in Parliament to end load shedding.

On 1 November, vote DA to keep the lights on.

Today we end this week's discussion on with Elmarie Maxim.

Thandi Elmarie Maxim is a proud mother of two.

A young woman, passionate about politics and business. Owner and founder of a preschool, Tinkerland Nursery, in Concordia.

Thandi is also co-founder and Executive Director of an NPC, Sakhiseni South Africa.

Thandi graduated from the DA Young Leaders Programme, Class of 2020, and is currently serving on the DA Knysna Constituency Executive Committee as an additional member.

We asked her how she would contribute her wisdom, expertise or ideas to empower other women, and this is what she had to say 👇

The DA in Knysna welcomes the announcement of Cllr Levael Davis as Mayoral Candidate for the Knysna Municipality.

Davis is currently the Ward 1 Councillor, the Caucus Whip, and also the DA Knysna's Constituency Chairperson and Campaign Manager.

To be able to vote in the upcoming local government elections, ensure you're correctly registered to vote where you live, visit https://check.voteda.org.za to check. If incorrectly registered, you will be guided to the IEC's online voter registration portal on https://registertovote.elections.org.za

As part of our Women's Month campaign, we spoke to our

Rose has been active in politics since after school - starting as an activist in the Young Progs and more than 50 years later still being an activist, this time in Knysna. Some of the years between was served in politics with a small “p”, being community organisations, school committees, family politics and women’s movements. The last 20 odd years have been spent in Politics with a big “P” in the Democratic Alliance and its predecessors as an activist, a staffer and recently a City of Cape Town councillor.

We asked her what women inspired her, and why, and to sum it up, Rose said: "The Helens", and here's why: 👇

Both these women ventured into arenas where women were not expected to be up to the rigours of a world populated by men. Both these women took courage from their values and showed a bravery in this world that has been a model to many.

In a very tough environment Helen Suzman simplified the complex world of apartheid by believing that she should “go and see for herself” whenever issues were brought to her attention. In assessing these situations, she applied her values and principles and had the courage to speak out about what was wrong and what should be done about it.

Helen Zille has faced many personal attacks over the years, as did Helen Suzman in her lonely years in Parliament. Her values kept her focused on what was right.

Whenever I find myself in a tough situation I think of these two phenomenal women and how in the face of criticism and complexity they pushed through by leaning on their values and principles for simplicity and the courage to soldier on.

🏆| The DA governs less than 10% of municipalities in SA, but the top 5 are all DA-run. All the failing municipalities are run by the ANC.

DA municipalities consistently outstrip the ANC when it comes to service delivery, clean audits, investments and creating jobs.

South Africa, these are our DA mayoral candidates for major metros! 🇿🇦

1⃣ Ekurhuleni - Refiloe Nt’sekhe
2⃣ Tshwane - Randall Williams
3⃣ Johannesburg - Mpho Phalatse
4⃣ NMB - Nqaba Bhanga
5⃣ Cape Town - Geordin Hill-Lewis

This is the team that will get things done in communities.

As part of our Women's Month campaign, we spoke to our

Cleone Vanston is the founder of Non-Profit Organisation Hephziba Solutions and chairperson of the Knysna Homeless Forum.

In addition, she's also the chairperson of the Sedgefield Clinic Committee, and the DA's deputy chairperson of our ward 2 branch, Sedgefield.

Cleone is a proud mom of 2 young girls.

We asked her how men can contribute more to women's empowerment, and this is what she had to say 👇

As part of our Women's Month campaign, we spoke to our

Alderlady Georlene Wolmarans was first elected to the Knysna Council in 2006.
Following which, in 2011, she was elected as Executive Mayor of Knysna, and in 2016 (- 2019) as the Speaker of Council and this year celebrates 15 years as a councillor.

We congratulate her on this achievement, and express our thanks and appreciation for the contributions to better the lives of the people of Knysna.

We asked her about a women's empowerment moment that inspired her, and this is what she had to say 👇

📢 | The wait is almost over! Tomorrow at 11h15 we will announce our 2021 mayoral candidates for major cities.

This announcement will be made by our Federal Leader, John Steenhuisen.

Don't miss this historic event, watch it on our Facebook or YouTube page: https://youtu.be/9HFIJh277bY

30 days of inaction, is President Ramaphosa protecting Zweli Mkhize?

Ramaphosa received the SIU investigative report on Health Minister’s multimillion-rand Digital Vibes corruption scandal on 6 July and continues to stall.

The corrupt must be fired and criminally charged.

Be part of the DA's Young Leaders Class of 2022, applications are now open.

For more info and to apply, visit http://youngleaders.org.za

Here's what you need for a successful application:

📝 Completed application form;
📹 90-sec intro video; and
📨 A valid letter of reference.

Goodbye good governance – Knysna Special Council meeting, 12 July 2021

Four items in front of Council and shocking results from the ruling ANC/Cope/KUC and ACDP coalition.

Causing yet another blow to the town, the ruling coalition has approved the recommendation that municipal employees, who were sheltered throughout COVID-19, in that they received their full salary throughout the entire period, receive danger allowance for services rendered during lockdown levels 4 and 5.
The sum agreed to by the Mayor is the not inconsiderable sum of R4 500 000.00, to provide “danger pay” to those who worked during level 4 and 5.

What is especially strange is that we know that the Council employs just over 600 people and, of these, 597 are apparently eligible for this allowance. We doubt that each and every one of these employees were working at 100 percent capacity during the hard lockdown – for example, who managed to renew their car licences during that period?

It is certainly not that we do not want to look after the workforce but, in these exceptional times, the last thing we need to do is endorse unauthorised and unbudgeted expenditure.
People in the private sector who had to work daily, paramedics, EMS employees, and staff of other practices and private enterprises rendering essential services were exposed daily and get no additional compensation
Covid-19 has had far reaching negative impacts on our economy and there are certainly more than 597 people in Knysna who have lost their, or who had to take pay cuts as a result of coronavirus pandemic. They get nothing. Imagine how their lives could be improved if that money was not leached away from already budgeted projects, to pander to the vocal unions who, during lockdown, had the audacity to protest in contravention of the disaster management regulations.

The DA is appalled that the mayor not only entertained them, but pandered to them, promising them money that is not budgeted for, and will have to be taken from other votes, inevitably leading to even more reduced service delivery.

These actions contravene the provisions of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), this does not constitute unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure and we shall be calling upon those responsible who have abandoned all pretext at good governance to be held accountable for any losses that the municipality will sustain. In addition, a submission will be made to both the MEC of Local Government, Anton Bredell, and MEC for Finance, David Maynier.
The DA voted against the recommendation, however, the ruling coalition pushed it through.

The second item on the Agenda did not appear to be untoward. Interviews had been held to appoint a Director: Community Services who had been deemed unsuitable after, during financial history screening process, reports had been presented reflecting, among other things, three judgments and two defaults and the DA had already addressed a letter to the MEC regarding the unsuitability of the candidate.
The item was to extend the term of the Acting Director, a municipal employee R Bouwer, by three months, pending the appointment of a Director.
The ANC chief whip requested a caucus, following which they returned and proposed that the candidate who had been deemed to be unsuitable, Dr Sandile Ngqele, be appointed as the Director: Community Services, notwithstanding a warning from the Acting Municipal Manager (AMM) that this could lead to litigation and that councillors can be held personally liable for any losses sustained as a result of such a resolution.
The Speaker went so far as to openly boast in Council that as, since 2011 when she came into Council, no councillor had ever been held personally liable, she would take her chances.
Despite the warning from the Acting MM the matter went to a vote. The DA voted against the proposal, the ACDP and COPE abstained and the ANC supported it, resulting in the motion carrying by 10 votes to 8.

Clearly the ruling party has scant regard for the need of this town to attract top performers and again smacks of cadre deployment.

The following item concerned mobile communication devices belonging to Council, that have reached the end of their life span. These devices are being used by officials and councillors. They are municipal assets and inventoried as such and the Council has an Asset Disposal Policy.
In terms of that policy, assets must be disposed of for fair market value, in a transparent process. However, the ANC, ACDP and KUC (the Mayor did not get to vote) elected to propose that these items are worth nothing and must be given to those councillors who were using them.
This decision is in wanton and blatant contravention of an existing municipal policy and is, yet again, another classic example of the greed displayed by the ANC.

The last item on the agenda was to note the recommendation that councillors get a zero percent increase in respect of the Remuneration of Councillors Upper Limits.
This was approved unanimously.
The meeting was adjourned.

DA CAME! DA LISTENED!!

Well spent afternoon in Kanonkop, Ward 7 in Knysna. People of Kanonkop want . We heard you people of Kanonkop today, let's work towards that 💙💙💪✊