My Challenge to Helen Zille & Alan Winde
I have a challenge for the DA, in particular Helen Zille and Alan Winde who have failed to acknowledge the struggles Knysna is experiencing. Accepting my challenge with positive intention, decision and action would stop the majority of my criticism of the DA. It would even make me vote for you. I say that sincerely.
Helen Zille
Too much of my Knysna Keep is about what didn’t happen. Sure, there’s criticism of poor actions but, far too much, criticism of non-action. The biggest of these has involved the condemnation of public servants, particularly the DA as they are in charge of Knysna, who’ve hidden the truth or denied fair public participation. There is no democracy without transparency. THERE IS NO DEMOCRACY WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY.
What cruel detractors blinded by bias refuse to realise is the simplest truth, the simplest logic, which is that my blog wouldn’t exist if Knysna Tourism, (which included politicians, Lauren Waring and Grant Easton) had chosen to be honest. This blog would never have gained momentum if the politicians and municipal officials hadn’t lied about so many issues that followed… and if those higher than them in the Western Cape Government hadn’t chosen to help them build even higher walls.
MEC Alan Winde
I’d gladly have dropped many issues long time ago if the DA had simply come to the table and said the public deserves the right to know… and shown us. Every lie and every wall has made me grit my teeth and try harder.
So, to Alan Winde and Helen Zille, here’s the challenge… Give me a reason to change my blogging. There’s tons of issues in Knysna but all i’m asking is for you to sort these with public participation:
- ISDF – it stinks in so many ways. You’re wasting public money. Do not let this go to court! Have independent investigators judge if the process was fair or not. If illegal, take it away from the tender ‘winner’ and punish those involved. If legal, ensure that there’s real input from ALL interested groups.
- Knysna Tourism – millions down the drain and no CEO. Make the Chairman of the Board pay back the illegal payments he’s received. Reveal all the info from the investigation into the ex-CEO and uphold the constitution of Knysna Tourism and the Municipal Finance Management Act.
- Forced removals of forest dwellers – the pressures that these Knysna citizens are under is extreme and cruel. 8 years of false promises from the ANC, DA and PG Bison must come to an end – bring all parties to the table and thrash it out until it’s done. If this means assisting these poor people with their land claims, then do so.
- Install a complaints system that allows tracking. Councillors Wolmarans, Wasserman and Edge promised that in their first year but still haven’t delivered. This will end the Municipality’s ignoring of the public.
- Be informative! – this means updating the Knysna Municipal website on a daily basis (there have only been 3 blogs this year and none addressed serious issues). An example of information that should be included is the agenda for forthcoming council meetings (and the minutes thereafter). Allow subscriptions.
- The Budget is a big bone of discontent – make the budget understandable to the layman and title documents so that they can be easily found. Practice the austerity you promised!
- Crime & Drugs – start meaningful interaction with the SAPS, public and schools. It’s gotten out of hand! Our town is rapidly losing its ‘quaintness’ which is so important for our tourism-based economy.
Here’s to hoping you accept!
- Education – run workshops teaching citizens how local government works.
- Clean up the Ward Committees and ensure that the constitution is upheld – no bias towards the DA e.g. not accepting complaints if it involves DA members is totalitarian.
- Make it obligatory for DA Councillors to demonstrate their good intention by signing a Councillor Commitment Form which allows for a by-election if sufficient voters of their ward call for it, thus ensuring that Councillors are always reminded that they are public servants first, politicians second.
It’s possible that you’d have to fire people for committing crimes against Knysna. Making the hard decisions is what leaders are supposed to do. Your image may take a knock in the short run but by the time the local elections arrive, you’ll have earned the respect of critics such as myself. I’d vote for you if you committed to this moral path.
In a few months, you could change Knysna for the better and make our pretty town an example to the whole of South Africa.
So, Alan and Helen, are you up to the challenge? Will you roll up your sleeves and improve our lives?
Hoping that you say, “Yes!”
Mike Hampton
Mike it took a while for me to read your challenge, but I fully support it. What you have requested is the least we can expect from the representatives who have been elected on a ticket of clean, open and transparent governance.
I sincerely hope our elected representatives wake up and start fulfilling their oversight role over the municipal officials who have been employed to serve all the residents of our town.
PG Bison have been demolishing homes on their land unlawfully and without the necessary heritage approval and/or demolition permits. Our municipality has a duty to ensure that everyone, including large corporations, obey the law.
We all have a say when the heritage of our town is systematically being erased by a listed company. Especially when this is done in contravention of our heritage and planning laws.
The municipality has a duty to protect all citizens, including the members of forestry communities.
Thanks, Susan. I always appreciate you input. I will likely spread your comment further.
My challenge was very simple and promotes transparency yet, as expected (again), they have all refused to answer.
The forest dwellers have had a raw deal! Both the ANC and DA have let them down. Where do citizens turn to if their own representatives refuse to turn pointless meetings into meaningful actions?
The fact of the matter is that the people from Brackenhill are staying on that piece of property for more than a century. My grandfather was born there and he would have turned 100 years old had he been still alive. If the municipality is really caring for the people it would have started a process of expropriation which is for the public benefit. I bet you they want to move these people to existing overcrowded townships where they will be exposed to gangsterism and crime which is non-existent in Brackenhill. I would suggest that we now approach the Department of Rural Development in order to assist our fellow compatriots with a view of expropriating the piece of land. It was done in other parts of the country and I do not see any reason whatsoever it cannot be done in this instance. Knysna municipality has a constitutional an moral obligation towards this community.
Amidst this sea of uncertainty we can be certain of this: humans will continue down an unsustainable path that inevitably leads to a tragic end until they succeed in destroying themselves or they reach a point of no return and abruptly change course.
That process of clinging to the present arrangement “because I can’t live any other way” until that arrangement collapses is the primary narrative of our era. It is truly remarkable how humans will cling to a visibly self-destructive, no-exit arrangement because they see no alternative, and then after the present arrangement crumbles and the wreckage is cleared, we somehow manage to find some other arrangement.
Sadly, we only rouse ourselves to change when there is no other choice, that is, after we’ve destroyed the previous arrangement. In short, we’re fucked, enjoy the inevitable ride.
It’s called “Willful Blindness’. A reader sent me a link to a fab video about it which i will post later this week. The public, especially the white public, are hanging onto what they know (bring in the vestiges of apartheid) whilst they lose what they know – that’s self-destruction. They will only have less. But they are sheep… and that’s not an insult, simply a sociological proven process. Only a fraction of the population can think out of the box. I will expand on this but i’ve got another blog to compose first… and probably another after the Council meeting today.
Dear Mike one would have thought that by now you would have grasped the basics.The Bracken hill land belongs to PG Bison municipality have no control and are in constant contact The tourism board has been investigated up the yijung yang at your behest to no avail give it up. The complaints tracking system is in place suggest any prospective sponsors can put their money to far better use. As usual doubt you will publish this
This is the kind of pretend to be sensible comment that is pure misdirection. 1. There is a massive problem in Bracken Hill (and in other areas). I have seen years of papers of lip service. Because one company owns most of Knysna does not mean that people who have lived there for generations have no rights – that’s ridiculous and inhumane. Shame on you for trivialising this issue. 2. The Tourism Board has the same people in charge who were responsible for the loss of cash, irresponsible spending and service provider favouritism – that has never been sorted. I’ve written about this in exhausting detail. 3. A complaints tracking system is essential so that service delivery to Knysna is more efficient. It’s also a failed promise. 4. ‘As usual’, utter fabrication – this is only your second comment. The first time was to come in and insult me. This, the second was lies and misdirection. You’re using a false identity. This only makes you the idiot and further damages the image of the people you’re supporting blindly and without proof. Deliberate distorting of the situation is disinformation. Yep, this time i will say cheers to you.
“Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson”
Say, say, say, say you will
accept Mike’s simple challenge
Take, take, take what you need(you always do)
but don’t leave me with no direction.
On and on I’m waiting by the phone
waiting for you, Helen, Alan
accept my challenge will you will you?
A bit of musical unity before Knysna unity – ha ha. Nice one, Bill. I needed a smile today.