The Difficult DA & Proof They Lied (Part 1)
This is the merry-go-round I’ve been forced to ‘play’ on for 2 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 5 days – I’ve been denied access to information that should have been public. The deniers have been the Knysna Municipality and the DA. Even the ‘DA Corruption Hotline’ and ‘DA-run Eden District Anti Fraud Hotline’ have remained silent to my submissions. This can only be viewed as a deliberate obstruction which fattened the question: “What are they hiding?”
I resurface the topic of the Knysna Tourism budget (as part of the bigger disaster of maladministration and possibly fraud) because there have been new developments in that Minister Alan Winde, Magda Moos and Peter Myers (the latter two from the Knysna DA Constituency), have promised to deliver me the answers. I have heard such promises from the DA before but all were a lie (see the list of people I’ve contacted here). I can hope that this time is different but to ensure that all is 100% clear, during which they’ve spread disinformation about me, I’ve composed several blogs as a build-up of which this is one.
It should be noted that I had already approached Alan Winde on this topic (and more) on several occasions the past 2 years as he is the Minister for Finance and Tourism for the Western Cape, the representative for the Knysna Constituency, visits Knysna Tourism and meets Michelle Wasserman (DA Speaker & Tourism Board Director) and Greg Vogt (Chairman of the Tourism Board) on a regular basis.
Premier Helen Zille claimed many meetings by the DA with me, implying they had helped – that isn’t true. Alan Winde, in the meeting I’ve still to blog about, concurred with Helen, saying that I had been given the budget to which I pointed out that I’d clearly asked for a detailed budget and not a summary, as I have so many times before. Without knowing who got the money and seeing proof of tenders, how will we ever understand how Knysna Tourism went from R3.5million in the green to bankrupt and having to borrow half a million to keep the most important office in our tourist-based town open.
Alan Winde promised to deliver the requested budget within 3 days, emailing Greg Vogt during our meeting. 6 days later I received the same budget summaries that tell us nothing. Alan Winde did say, however, that, “I am aware that Mike’s mail below asks for deeper detail on the tourism budgets. Once he gives me the detail needed I will ask for it on your behalf and report back to the group.” I have given such before so can’t help but wonder if this is just another delay tactic as elections approach.
It must be kept foremost in mind that the Tourism office has run without a CEO for almost 18 months, paid the ex-CEO a small fortune to sign a non-disclosure agreement, has been illegally paying money to Greg Vogt via a third party, and has refused to give details to its Section 21 members and the public (the latter is very relevant under the Municipal Finance Management Act as most of their funding is derived from the taxpayer). It is highly unlikely that Tourism doesn’t have all the information on hand – after all, the Board Members, which included several DA Councillors, charged the ex-CEO with 4 charges of gross misconduct. The reason for them to keep it quiet is because the constitution says that they are ultimately responsible. They further blockaded the public by illegally changing their constitution to, essentially, threatening members if they contradicted the Directors – they made it blatant that questions are not welcomed.
Basil Michaelides, the auditor, who is on the finance committee with the DA Speaker, Michelle Wasserman, never responded to my email query as well. He, more than most, will be aware of the accounting problems at Knysna Tourism. Recently, his company was subsumed by Grant Thornton South Africa who describes themselves as “leaders in our chosen market, providing assurance, tax and specialist business advice to dynamic organisations – listed companies, large privately held businesses and private equity-backed organisations.” So I contacted Grant Thornton and was pleased with the rapid response of Deepak Nagar, the National Chairman who said, “we are looking into this matter as a matter of urgency and will revert”. However, 24 days later, they haven’t and in that period Basil Michaelides, so I’ve been told, has resigned as an auditor from Knysna Tourism – that’s far too coincidental.
You’ve had the update. In Part 2, I share with you a proof of some of my many requests for a detailed budget and prove that the DA lied.
I can only conclude from the above that Mike and Patrick are the same person – please try and prove me wrong!
In the absence of such proof please be advised that one of the signs of madness is when you talk to yourself and believe everything you say!
For some reason, I’m now picturing your wife. Small, mousey, blonde, quite pretty, but tired-looking. Most of her conversation with others consists of standing next to you saying “yes”, “he’s right you know” and “that’s true dear”. Smiles and nods a lot. Secretly, she thinks you’re a bit dim and sometimes borderline racist, but she loves how proud you look when you get to be The Official Spokesman at Events.
I’ve addressed the same question asked by Peter elsewhere.
Although part me is tempted to laugh at Patrick’s comment it’s because you should be laughed at. But your wife is another story. I admired her so find her sudden role in supporting you very disappointing. I believe in right or wrong, not family no matter what.
It’s less than amusing. Peter is, and was, destroying any and all sympathy for the DA in his inept and naive approach to this blog.
His knee-jerk, almost endearing blind loyalty will do a much better job at exposing the chinks in the political armour than you or I could do in a month of Sundays. The man could not even spell “spin doctor” if he tried and you’ve shut the door on his self expose. He was doing a fine job of exposing the dubious attitude and devil-may-care stance of politics in general here in Knysna and also in SA.
It is in the gift for employing all the vicissitudes of life to one’s own advantage and to that of one’s craft that a large part of success consists, and, in banning the nincompoop, you’re missing a very important trick here; He is busy blowing what little credibility his elite chums have left, all on his lonesome.
I can only assume Peter is under medical instruction to carefully write down any thought-like impulses he might have, as they caper merrily through his brain like fleeting ghosts. Priceless.
I say bring Myers back. We’ve not had such amusement for a very long time and he’ll do a way better job of exposing his agenda than anyone here on earth.
You may be right… and if you aren’t then you should be after that elegant prose. However, i’ve learned from the likes of Mark Allan that false claims become bigger as frustration at not being able to prove their point grows until it has the possibility of sucking me into their black hole e.g. 26 months and counting on Allan so far. I don’t want to entertain the witless, bias and cruel with hidden agendas. I’ve already stopped updating all my other sites and charity work so that i can stay on topic as best i can. Already, the many blogs i’m writing to prove Peter Meyers, as representative for the DA, has kept up their policy of distorting truth have consumed much time i.e. a week already. I don’t want to indulge these people too much. I don’t have the resources and it’s been a very tough month financially. I need to keep my eye on the ball of truth and consequent justice once obtained.
Now that you’ve banned the tit, it’s pointless posting a riposte.
Sorry, i know Peter can be amusing too:)
Once again you continue to lie about and intentionally distort the situation and events surrounding the Knysna Tourism situation. You have been endlessly supplied with detailed facts and figures but it seems that if these do not support your distorted view of the world then you tend to ignore the information or change the facts at will. This is disgraceful – you are entitled to your own opinions but not to your own made up facts.
All the independent parties that you have contacted from the Public Protector to the Auditors and so on, have reported that the situation at Knysna Tourism has been satisfactorily explained and resolved and in the view of the Public Protector – no further action should or will be taken. It seems as if all you have been after all the time is a paid position or role at Knysna Tourism – this is never going to happen, so get over it and move on.
Your visceral hatred of the DA run Knysna municipality is palpable. You have destroyed your own credibility and the vanishingly small number of people who may still sympathise with you are fast becoming too embarrassed to admit it in public. After all who wants to be associated with a dishonest loon!!!!
To the public: Peter Meyers, a man who suddenly appears on my website to make 5 comments slanging me despite all the evidence i’ve provided to the contrary. Why? I’ll tell you. My first meeting with him was one in which he totally misrepresented his intentions but introduced himself as having surprisingly found himself in the DA constituency of Knysna, from nowhere to #2 position.
The day before Zille arrived in Knysna, he made his first derogatory remark on this blog – coincidence? I think not. Likely trying to make a name for himself or on orders from someone higher up to plant doubt as the elections approach.
There’s no need for me to spare time on this disinformation and bad intention so he’s now banned. However, as promised, he will be given a full response in blog form (not a simple comment). In fact, i already began with that with the Zille’s fake photo shoot and the pointless meeting at the yacht club. This morning i posted a third part which is part of the response to their lie that they’ve been helpful.
I’m addressing each of his accusations. Just to find all the emails for this afternoon’s blog took several days. I’m giving you tons of detail and will provide more.
This is all delays, as they normally enact, but, in a way, helps, as i want the response i give to Alan Winde to be as clear as possible… and devoid of Peter Meyer’s false accusations.
If the DA had been helpful, i’d have 3 years of my life back and this blog would not exist. It would have been easy of them to help, a matter of good intention and a few days, but they have deliberately chosen to hide information. This is not the first time they’ve done so.
They try exhaust complainants with the realisation that the last resort is to go to court… which the average citizen cannot afford… even though they use taxpayer’s cash to fight you. It’s a ridiculous system that perpetuates it’s low regard for honesty and the will of the public.
Peter Meyer’s dishonesty is nothing new, just old news… but, like old food, it still smells.
Can you imagine trying to explain ANYTHING to Peter? You’d have to start every sentence by hitting him in the face with a spade. The “vanishingly small number of people?”
They can’t suppress the truth forever Peter. Not as long as there are brave, honest souls like you who can nearly communicate and don’t have the wit, let alone the intention, to deceive. God bless you.
Jeez, Patrick, you’re making us feel like we’re in church – ha ha.