Attention Knysna Councillors!

Will you, in the Special Council Meeting today, serve the Public or further legitimise the rotten heart of the Knysna Municipality?

Acting Municipal Manager Johnny Douglas requests you ignore that Manon McDonald, ex-Manager Electrical Department, was involved in the process that granted R1.3-million in tenders to Jam Electrical, a company whose only member is her husband. Absurdly, Douglas accepts the investigation team’s advice that the related disciplinary hearing against previous Municipal Manager Grant Easton suffices as sufficient warning to staff to obey tender regulations.

Easton quit, unpunished. with an extra two months salary and an old bonus. MacDonald resigned, unpunished, now employed in the larger DA-run George Municipality. No warning, just reward.

Douglas asks you to begin the process for selection of a new Community Services Manager. Superficially, this appears to be a positive as current Director Dawie Adonis has been illegally in that position for 4 years, earning approximately R1.2-million annually for his matric which is supposed to be an honours degree. However, this is yet another preparation for blind eyes to rottenness:

“Mr. Adonis advised that he does not wish to become embroiled in costly litigation with the Knysna Municipality… and indicated his willingness to resolve the matter by agreeing to redeployment/placement on the basis of a minor change of position, with the same benefits within a restructured organization structure.”

Why was Adonis, an unqualified candidate, chosen out of the 78 candidates who applied? Why are letters from National Treasury, that the Knysna Municipality claims to support their position of retaining him, now ‘missing?

I believe that personal interests groups outweigh political parties but the Public may be interested to note the dominance of the old team from when the ANC ruled Knysna:

1. ANC Mayor Eleanore Spies became DA Mayor.
2. ANC regime Municipal Manager Johnny Douglas became DA Acting Municipal Manager.
3. The effort taken to retain Adonis who was previously ANC regime Manager Human Settlements.
4. The imminent return of Reggie Smit to his old position of Director Corporate Services (he signed the illegal cheques to Knysna Tourism).
5. No actionable objections by the ANC to anything major the DA does wrong.

Adding insult to injury is that the Knysna Fire Department reported to the unqualified Adonis during the Great Knysna Fire. And this Special Council Agenda, which should be dominated by our ongoing disaster, only mentions the waiving of house planning fees for fire victims.

Councillors, are you using our town’s tragedy to your advantage, slipping through atrocities of ‘administration’ whilst our town is distracted by the pain of our fire?

It appears DA leadership in Cape Town will allow anything questionable in Knysna so long as it protects their image against my allegations of their gross corruption.

Will you vote against the abhorrence of these agenda items and report all involved to the Public Protector?

If you vote in favour, shame on you all… and the further implicated you become.

Follow-up: ‘DA-led Knysna Council Admits Director Illegally Appointed‘

NB: Readers should educate themselves with the full agenda – www.knysna.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Spec-Age-20_June_17.pdf.