Uncooperative Tourism & Municipality Must Be Charged
We Have the Right to Know!
My readers well know that i’ve been battling to get the truth for a very long time. Knysna Tourism and Knysna Municipality refuse to cooperate by providing the real story behind the financial scandal at Tourism. Instead, they’ve been given another R4million of your taxpaying money.
Below are the latest emails between them and me. Keep in mind that mails to our politicians and municipal staff do not get to them directly as they have continually and undemocratically banned my edresses. Note that Greg Vogt‘s (Tourism Board Chairman) reference to me declining meetings has poor context. I said i would meet if they would answer the questions. They wouldn’t. I refer you to those emails from 2 years ago so that you understand that they’re still practicing the same bullshit. When we did meet for 3hrs, earlier this year, as he mentions below, they did not answer any of the big questions. Instead they promised to supply them at a later date but never did. I have no interest in meeting with Board members who’ve lied or stonewalled me for years. I made the offer to newer members who’ve chosen to hide behind Greg Vogt and thus must suffer the same consequences.
The Board has to take responsibility for 100% failing in their oversight of Shaun van Eck, the ex-Tourism CEO. Instead, they found him guilty on 4 charges (each one qualified as a dismissal by itself) but gave him a golden handshake and apparently signed a secrecy agreement. Why? Shaun van Eck then threatened to sue me and had the ignoble audacity to include this line: “Even you would have deduced that the Board would not have settled if I was guilty on a fair hearing.”
They’ve now added Delon Barnard, from Logan-Martin Attorneys into the mix. He’s the head of their Civil Litigation Department and (un-coincidentally) has also represented Knysna Municipality. Why try intimidate me to keep quiet when all they have to do is be truthful??? How ironic is it that our government gets to use our money, for legal fees, against us.
Every time you read what appears to be reasonable, ask yourself why they haven’t simply made the information public all this time! Please keep asking yourself that.
******
From: mike@loveknysna.com [mailto:mike@loveknysna.com]
Sent: 03 June 2013 09:51 AM
To: c.collins@magneticsouth.net, Kathy White ; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com
Subject: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
I have made great effort the past 2 and a half years to gain transparency and save Knysna money but it is obvious that integrity is severely lacking and that the Knysna Tourism Board will not cooperate unless criminal charges are brought into effect. The law clearly provides for your prosecution.
Although i have no doubt that you are familiar with me and my requests to Knysna Tourism, i reiterate the basics so that there’s no doubt that you, as a newer member of the Knysna Tourism Board, are legally aware.
Understand that long-running Board members have made it clear that they will not fulfill their duty. They will suffer the consequences. You, however, have the opportunity to lessen the consequences against you if you choose to start immediate correspondence and provide, as a beginning:
- A detailed breakdown of the budgets under Shaun van Eck as well as after. This must include a list with each recipient, the amounts they have paid and the services they have rendered.
- Separately, a detailed breakdown of the Oyster Festival budget so that it is clearly understood who the recipients were and what they were paid for.
- A list of all Shaun van Eck’s errors, misjudgements, maladministrations or crimes.
- The previous and new constitutions and rules of Knysna Tourism that govern the Board and Tourism’s members.
You do not get to absolve yourself of the responsibility you chose by passing this onto Greg Vogt for his response. Greg Vogt and the Board members have perpetuated the cover-up. You must decide if you’re to remain complicit or whether you will fulfill your duty to Knysna. This is directed at each of you as an individual.
As stated in the previous email, you have until tomorrow. I hope that you choose to love Knysna.
******
From: Greg
To: mike@loveknysna.com
Cc: info@castollini.co.za ; Christine Collins ; Kathy White ; Dianne Pepler ; Esme Edge ; rdawson@knysna.gov.za ; Stephen de Vries ; delon@loganmartin.co.za ; Lauren Waring
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 8:00 AM
Subject: FW: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
Dear Mike,
Since being a board member I have always been willing to meet with you. You again have declined to take up the meeting I have offered to address your queries. Instead you set a date that only suited you and you have refused to accept that board members have calendars of their own.
Your options were very simple. You could have accepted an alternate date to meet with myself and whichever other board member will be elected to join the meeting, or you can address these concerns at the AGM, a forum ideal for these situations.
This board has nothing to hide and as mentioned previously took the time to spend over three hours with you personally addressing your issues.
Your tone however is insinuating that this board is dishonest and that we are covering up something. To this I copy our lawyer in, Delon Barnard, to ensure that you reign in your accusations and be very careful about your wording. You have become well known for attacking various Knysna portfolio members integrity in public forums and it is my duty to ensure that during this process where we address your queries and concerns in the correct manner, you refrain from insinuating that this board is dishonest and mismanaging processes.
Again, I place it on record that you have declined meetings with me on two occasions. This board will not meet your deadline that you set, however has offered you an alternative meeting time. You have the opportunity to arrange such a meeting or not.
Kind regards
Greg Vogt
******
From: mike@loveknysna.com [mailto:mike@loveknysna.com]
Sent: 04 June 2013 08:22 AM
To: Greg
Cc: info@castollini.co.za; Christine Collins; Kathy White; Dianne Pepler; Esme Edge; rdawson@knysna.gov.za; Stephen de Vries; delon@loganmartin.co.za; Lauren Waring; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za; Armadillo Studios – Marion
Subject: Re: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
Total misinterpretation of what has happened and i shall easily prove such. As for the meeting, it has been 2 and a half years of delays, lies and mismanagement. You no longer dictate the leeway i gave you in the hope that good people would finally step up. It has been far too long and AGMs have never proven honest.
To all you Board members, take clear note that you will all face criminal charges if you do not be forthcoming and honest today. Being inactive and failing in your individual duty whilst hiding behind the Board members who call the shots will be a poor decision on your part. You are in contravention of the Municipal Management Finance Act which means you can face jail time. In addition to charges being laid, the Public Protector will be informed.
I don’t insinuate that you are dishonest and mismanaging processes. I state 100% that that is true. I’m prepared to pause all my projects and dedicate myself 100% to getting the truth from you and ensuring that dishonest and incapable people do not run Knysna Tourism.
******
From: Greg
To: mike@loveknysna.com
Cc: info@castollini.co.za ; ‘Christine Collins’ ; ‘Kathy White’ ; ‘Dianne Pepler’ ; ‘Esme Edge’ ; rdawson@knysna.gov.za ; ‘Stephen de Vries’ ; delon@loganmartin.co.za ; ‘Lauren Waring’ ; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com ; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za ; ‘Armadillo Studios – Marion’
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 9:17 AM
Subject: RE: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
Mike,
I take it that you do not want a meeting to address your questions?
Quite simple, date time that suits you and my board members who will attend.
Greg
******
From: mike@loveknysna.com
To: Greg
Cc: info@castollini.co.za ; ‘Christine Collins’ ; ‘Kathy White’ ; ‘Dianne Pepler’ ; ‘Esme Edge’ ; rdawson@knysna.gov.za ; ‘Stephen de Vries’ ; delon@loganmartin.co.za ; ‘Lauren Waring’ ; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com ; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za ; ‘Armadillo Studios – Marion’ ; ANC – Stephen de Vries
Sent: 04 June, 2013 11:23
Subject: Re: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
Any time this afternoon, members and ex-members: Ella Mapurisa, Kathy White and Marion Mack. I will choose a place in town once they confirm.
******
From: mike@loveknysna.com [mailto:mike@loveknysna.com]
Sent: 04 June 2013 12:37 PM
To: Esme Edge; Villa Castollini
Cc: Christine Collins; Dianne Peplar; Greg Vogt; Kathy White; Lauren Waring; Richard Dawson; ANC – Stephen de Vries; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za; Armadillo Studios – Marion
Subject: Re: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
This parade of emails from people such as the Deputy Mayor, saying that they’re not available is irrelevant and likely a roundabout way of saying that they were cooperating when it comes to the legal battleground – that would be untrue. Not to mention that you were given a deadline a week ago – not today. Additionally, Tourism Board head, Greg Vogt, asked who i’d speak to today and i’ve already stated who.
I have no interest in speaking to those who have constantly made it clear that they have no respect for the public’s interest nor mine as a tourism member. The Deputy Mayor began lying 2 and a half years ago and cannot remotely be trusted to tell the truth now. It is more so because of her and long-term Board members that Tourism’s finances were decimated by millions. It’s even more ironic to receive an email from her since the Knysna Municipality, which she is part of, has constantly blocked my emails (an in-house decision).
I chose previous and current Board members whom i believed were not decision leaders but decision followers, citizens and not politicians. I did so in the hope that they’d more likely choose to be honest now.
The Tourism Board has had years to have an honest meeting and chose not to. You are all guilty, at the very least, of financial mismanagement and withholding information. It’s now a matter of who will mitigate their situation by being 100% honest and committing themselves to bringing the truth to light.
******
From: Greg Vogt
To: mike@loveknysna.com ; ‘Esme Edge’ ; ‘Villa Castollini’
Cc: ‘Christine Collins’ ; ‘Dianne Peplar’ ; ‘Kathy White’ ; ‘Lauren Waring’ ; ‘Richard Dawson’ ; ‘ANC – Stephen de Vries’ ; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com ; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za ; ‘Armadillo Studios – Marion’ ; delon@loganmartin.co.za ; Knysna Tourism – Development
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 1:04 PM
Subject: RE: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
Dear Mike,
This is how any process works:
1. The board receives a complaint, one that usally follows a complaints procedure.
2. As I mentioned in my earlier mail to you, the board will elect a few people to address your issue.
3. A time will be made that suits EVERYONE involved.
Your issue is not one that will be addressed by the whole board sitting with you. As has already been discussed with you, the board has portfolios and I will not bother people with other portfolios to address complaints.
I am taking the time to explain this to you to avoid further delays in this process. I am also trying to be as civil as possible about this process unlike you who are reverting to statements about board members lying etc.
So, to avoid further delays I have asked Glendyrr to arrange a time that will suit the group of representatives and yourself so that we can get on with dealing with this issue. My advice is to not make unreasonable demands and to understand that we have a number of people asking for our time and attention for matters they believe are as important as you believe your matter is.
Kind regards
Greg
******
From: mike@loveknysna.com
To: Greg Vogt ; ‘Christine Collins’ ; ‘Dianne Peplar’ ; ‘Kathy White’ ; ‘Lauren Waring’ ; ‘Richard Dawson’ ; ‘ANC – Stephen de Vries’ ; ella.mapurisa@gmail.com ; beachwalk@gardenroutetrail.co.za ; ‘Armadillo Studios – Marion’ ; delon@loganmartin.co.za ; DA – Esmé Edge ; DA – Michelle Wasserman ; DA – Georlene Wolmarans
Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 6:32 AM
Subject: Re: Do you choose honesty or cover-up?
This has gone on for 2 and a half years! These ‘reasonable’ emails from you are entirely unreasonable as all you’ve done is talk and promise but never answer the real questions you should have simply answered. If you had honest intention, you would have provided all a long time ago. It was your duty which you have deliberately chosen to not do. That is the modus operandi of the whole Tourism Board which makes you all no different to your disgraced, ex-CEO, Shaun van Eck.
You are all complicit, guilty in contravening the The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and the Local Government Municipal Finance Act. You have trampled on the rights of all Knysna Tourism members and insulted the Knysna public.
You have all, equally, chosen to be uncooperative. I’m not interested in receiving another false email from you so will not respond to such. If any Knysna Tourism Board member, or ex-member, wished to deliver real info, i will of course give them credit. Barring that, you will only deal with the Law from now on. I have prepared charges and they are currently being reviewed by a lawyer before submittance to the SAPS, the Scorpions and the Public Protector.
Hi Mike,
Unfortunately until we change the democratic process, whereby politicians and the people appointed by them into positions of authority and power are held accountable, we will continue to get scandals and people not acting in the interests of the communities they are meant to serve. This seems to happen at all levels of government, and it’s up to the general public and in particular those who selflessly take these issues upon themselves (people like you) to remind these committees/government employees/municipal employees/politicians, that is is indeed us, the hard working general public, who are footing the bills, paying salaries and other expenses .
Imagine if those who exercised power on our behalf had to do it in a transparent and fully accountable way and didn’t have the option of hiding behind layers of bureaucracy and needlessly complicating the issues.
Oh, and keep up the good work. I think you talk for a lot of the silent majority.
I have asked the Public Protector for assistance. I’ve also prepared several blogs so much more on the way.
Which is why the ‘silent majority’ you mention in your next comment is unacceptable. The public must stop complaining and take responsibility for their lives.
what a pity Knysna folk do not stand together, in 20 years we have seen the ratepayers association fail, chamber of business fail, any ideas why ?
Too few doing the work of many. Too many getting beaten down by local government playing lip service without solid reality. Too many setting up organizations as islands that don’t work with other bodies. Summarily, the general public dealing with their seemed powerlessness by protecting themselves with useless, pretend indifference…
Mike,
Its frustrating when you seem to be up against people who are in power. Hopefully the public will support you in your courageous endeavors against ‘the forces of evil’. All around the world people in power cling to it, with only enlightened members of the public standing up for truth. Its only by standing together will the people in power realise that they cant get away with it for long. Good luck!
A first test of that would be if supportive commentators choose to be involved. I may meet informants occasionally but, overall, no one has stepped forward to share the load and the cause.
There is no place for threats of any kind especially when your intentions are looking out for the best interests of Knysna and future generations.
The Knysna Mafia again!
These threats are just to protect certain individuals sandcastles which they have built for themselves at the expense of Knysna and and under the guise of developing Knysna “for the good of us.”
Freedom of information is entrenched in our constitution and seekers of information and whistleblowers must be protected by the state.
I wish that were as simple. My experience is that corruption is widespread and makes my life, as an exposer, difficult.
A Thousand thank you’s Mike. Just keep chipping away and the truth will be revealed. We do have the right to know!
Thanks, Bill. I received a subtle threat yesterday which makes me expect a storm to come but i’m prepared to weather it. I have already reported it to the National Anti-Corruption for Public Service hotline and asked both a lawyer and a Captain in the Hawks for advice (before i directly lay the SAPS charge). I expect the Tourism Board will try protect themselves, part of which would be them scurrying to add more information to present to the AGM on June 20. If so, that will be a small victory in itself…but not enough.
Strength to you, Mike! Dont let them off the hook.
I won’t. No matter what it costs me, promise to fight this.