“On 29 September, the Municipal Council resolved under item SCO3/09/16 that the Acting Municipal manager be instructed to take all necessary action to ensure that the lease agreement between the Knysna Municipality and Cornuti’s Ristorante (Pty) Ltd be terminated at the end of the lease period, being 31 December 2016, and that Cornuti’s Ristorante [currently trading under then name Senza] vacate the premises on or before 31 December 2016.

Cornuti’s Ristorante failed to vacate the premises.

In February 2017, Council instituted urgent eviction proceedings against Cornuti’s Ristorante and a hearing date was assigned, being 8 March 2017.

Cornuti’s Ristorante did not file any opposing papers and the court order was handed down as per agreement between the parties. Under case number 2435/2017, heard on 8 March 2017, the High Court, Western Cape Division held by agreement between the parties that:

1. The respondent and all occupying under the respondent shall vacate erven 1406, 4620 and 1478 Knysna (“the premises”) on or before the 1st of May 2017, failing which the Sheriff for the district of Knysna is authorised and ordered to evict the respondent and all occupying under the respondent from the property on the 2nd May 2017.
2. Respondent shall pay the applicant’s taxed or agreed party and party costs on an unopposed basis.”

The above is taken from the Council Agenda of March 23 2017. There was no tallying of the estimated R7-million loss to the public and thus no talk of municipal accountability or how to recover it.

On March 30, there will be a Special Council Meeting. It’s hoped that details of a new tender will be offered so that the East Head property isn’t empty for too long.