Knysna ANC Chief Whip Mertle ‘Titi’ Gombo

The DA continues to make mistakes in Knysna. It has yet to release a statement about the change in its Mayor. Instead, DA Western Cape Leader Bonginkosi Madikizela took to the media in unprofessional manner that was opinionated and indignant rather than factual. The DA’s local Facebook page remains silent, its last post 2 weeks ago, advertising what became the failed meeting with DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen. And the Knysna Municipality has not mentioned the change in leadership on their website.

It’s natural law that where there’s a hole it will be filled. Residents have spoken out loudly. And the ANC has issued statement too:

“The marathon meeting of Knysna Council meeting held June 6 was a fiasco. It clearly demonstrated DA inability to govern.

We had, on numerous occasions, reported that the Knysna DA led coalition is incapable of serving the plight of the community of Knysna. The ANC, once again demonstrated that we are not interested into cheap politicking on the detriment of service delivery. The ANC’s [No Confidence] motion to remove suggested, that as the opposition party, we cannot watch whilst Mayor fails to provide leadership.

The removal of the Executive Mayor proved that it was not only the ANC who have lost confidence in the leadership of the former Executive Mayor. Two DA members and two other smaller parties supported the ANC motion.

The ANC applauds the action of the Speaker Wolmarans who did not the leave the council chambers when the majority of DA members left the chambers. The Speaker had an option to adjourned Council at that point and leave but instead chose to fulfill her role as an impartial Speaker and remained to oversee the motion of the ANC to remove the former Executive Mayor.

The ANC view of political instability and divisions in the DA, was confirmed as councillors and members of the public had to wait for hours for the DA caucus to return to council after request for a 10min caucus.

We were further vindicated as it transpired during debate on the budget that the former Executive Mayor has not informed the MEC of Finance, Ivan Meyer, of the non-compliance to pass the budget 30 days before the start of the financial year as required by the MFMA. A letter from the MEC of Finance, dated 6 June 2018 was read in which the Mr Meyer indicated that he was not informed of any correspondence from Knysna Municipality icw the non-compliance. Instead, the Executive Mayor Eleanore Spies and Municipal Manager Kam Chetty read a letter that was written to the MEC of Local Government [Anton Bredell]. It is clear that this action again intended to mislead Council.

The ANC has rejected the budget as we believe that approved tariffs are too high and unaffordable for the poor. Service delivery is still skewed in Knysna Municipality towards affluent areas. An example of this is roads reseal programme witch mostly takes place in affluent areas.

The ANC, as the opposition, will continue with its vigilant role as opposition to ensure good governance and to change the trajectory of service delivery biased to the poor.

Issued by ANC Chief-whip
Titi Gombo
072 958 2036″

NB: Unfortunately, the ANC fails to explain why it voted for a DA and a COPE councillor to takeover as Mayor and Deputy Mayor.