Knysna leadership hit with litany of allegations

A PARLIAMENTARY committee has undertaken to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in Knysna’s DA-led municipality.

Members of Parliament’s select committee on petitions and executive undertakings (SCPEU) listened intently yesterday as two activists submitted a raft of allegations against the Knysna municipality.

Committee chairperson Kgoshi Thobejane slammed the municipality for failing to appear at the hearing after the executive mayor and the deputy executive mayor were invited to attend.

Knysna Municipality spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt said neither the executive mayor nor the deputy were summoned to appear before a committee of the National Council of Provinces.

“We have not received a summons to appear… We received an invitation, which we respectfully declined,” said Bezuidenhoudt.

Knysna residents Mike Hampton and Susan Campbell alleged that Knysna Tourism had been involved in irregular funding using tax- payers’ money. They also alleged the municipality was involved in tender irregularities related to Knysna’s Integrated Strategic Development Framework (ISDF) project.

Hampton’s petition alleges that a municipal manager had been illegally appointed and other irregularities resulted from this. Campbell also alleged that an official had “boasted” about how the municipality had blocked Hampton’s e-mails.

Economic Opportunities MEC Alan Winde and DA provincial chairperson Anton Bredell were also implicated in the allegations.

“After five years of struggle and many legal actions by the DA against me in attempts to shut me up and prevent justice, I am convinced that they are anything but the clean governance they pretend to be,” said Hampton.

A representative for Winde conceded the investigation into the ISDF tender was ongoing.

Bredell’s representatives refused to comment on the allegedly unlawful appointment of the manager.

The committee gave the provincial government until February 19 to produce a “substantive” written response to the allegations.