It’s unacceptable that the Public are again kept in the dark regards another Knysna Municipality mess (the flood never stops). Tourism members were sent this email today:

“We hereby inform you that the current Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Knysna Municipality and Knysna & Partners [a.k..a. Knysna Tourism) expires this Friday on the 30th of June 2017.

Whilst Council resolved on the 26th of May 2017 in favour of an agreement with Knysna & Partners for up to three years to provide some or all of the services identified in the report as comprising the destination marketing function, subject to an agreement being presented that complies with all legislative and regulatory requirements, we have not been able to an agreement on the terms as presented to Council at this point.

We are compelled to start the process of shutting down first the visitor offices, and look at a realistic way forward for the organisation, as we have no legal mandate  from Knysna Municipality anymore. We will engage, in the forthcoming weeks, with all members on how to fulfill the mandate we received from our members.

We thank you for the support.

Kind regards,

Knysna Tourism Board”

I may not know the latest twists and turns but the switching between service level agreements would’ve been illegal. If anything, the services of Knysna Tourism should’ve been put out to tender or incorporated back into Knysna Municipality.

I’ve complained for 6 and a half years that it’s funding has been illegal. That MEC Alan Winde and all the ‘bright minds’ of our DA and Municipality have failed to correct it is absurd. That Mayor Eleonore Spies didn’t prioritise the current crisis is another damning nail in her pretend leadership! It’s disturbing that at the Section 80 Finance Meeting held in Council Chambers today, Deputy Mayor Peter Myers prevented the desperate Knysna Tourism Board from answering questions from opposition councillors.

No matter what’s happening or why, to not have our ducks in a row should be inconceivable – WE’RE A TOURISM BASED ECONOMY. And that was before the fire added a lot more pressure on people’s livelihoods.

My immediate concern is for the staff, not management but those friendly folk on the front desks who’ve kept smiling whilst politics and thieves have darkened their working environment and our town. I want them to keep their jobs.

The doors of Knysna Tourism may close to tourists this weekend but the organisation will have to keep running in the background so as to honour its contract with Worldsport for the Knysna Oyster Festival.

Expect another Special Council Meeting in which no one takes blame, followed by a press release telling us everything’s terrific.