That tourism ‘tameletjie’
Depending on the outcome of a Knysna council decision on Monday 30 July, the Western Cape government’s investment and tourism marketing branch (Wesgro), could take over the local tourism function in what would be a three-year deal with the local municipality.
On Thursday 19 July, during a feedback session held at the Conrad Pezula Hotel, members of Knysna Tourism and the Knysna Accommodation Association (KAA) gave their overwhelming support for a plan to partner with Wesgro. The plan depends on council’s approval for the municipality to enter into a service level agreement (SLA) with the organisation, which has said that it would not get involved with the municipality if there is no buy-in from the industry and community itself.
‘Put personal agendas aside’
This, said tourism chairperson Elmay Bouwer, follows the search for a method in which the municipality can legally fulfil its mandate to the tourism industry following the nonrenewal of the SLA between the municipality and tourism.
“Today we have to put personal agendas aside and do what is in the best interests of Knysna,” she said before giving feedback on discussions held with Wesgro on 18 July.
But, said Chris Gould of the Knysna Ratepayers Association, this process would not be legal. “Although the municipal systems act exempts the outsourcing of a municipal function to an organ of state such as Wesgro from the competitive bidding process, it nevertheless sets a number of hurdles that must first be cleared. These include public notice and participation, assessment of the impact on human health and the environment, the likely impact on jobs and employment patterns, the use of organised labour, and a feasibility study among other things. There are about 25 hurdles in all. This is not something that can be done overnight. It will take time,” said Gould.
Long way coming
This is not the first time the tourism function has been under the spotlight.
The legality of the funding for tourism was first questioned by blogger Mike Hampton in 2013, who then reported it to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), which in turn instructed the national office of the public protector to investigate Hampton’s allegations and the funding of Knysna Tourism earlier this year. At the time (2013) Lauren Waring was municipal manager and Greg Vogt chairperson of Knysna & Partners.
The latest SLA between the municipality and tourism was set for a year (which expired at the end of June this year) in order to start the procurement process, which has not been done. At that point, Kam Chetty was municipal manager and Greg Vogt the chairperson of what was known as Knysna & Partners.
When the renewal of the SLA came up in council during August 2017, DA councillor and then deputy mayor Peter Myers refused to vote.
Myers in the mix
At this meeting, Myers made his position clear – that signing the R4-million contract with Knysna & Partners for another year was illegal in terms of the Municipal Management Financial Act section 173 and that it should have been put out to tender.
At a meeting on 11 August last year, when the DA caucus voted for the SLA to be granted, Myers walked out of the meeting, thus absenting himself from voting.
The DA subsequently passed a motion of no confidence in Meyers and he was ousted as deputy mayor.
The latest set of woes pertaining to the beleaguered office culminated on 19 June, when the retrenchment process of nine Knysna Tourism staff members commenced. Their employment is set to terminate on Tuesday 31 July this year. The news also followed shortly on the heels of a new proposed bylaw in Bitou that could remove the area’s external tourism function, currently performed by Plett Tourism, completely and move it in-house.
Bouwers said the board had earlier commissioned a report on the way forward from auditors Grant Thornton. “This was vital as we prepared ourselves for the termination of the SLA between the municipality and Knysna Tourism NPC,” she said, adding that it was at Chetty’s suggestion to approach Wesgro as a possible service provider.
‘Win-win for everyone’
The meetings held with Wesgro’s CEO Tim Harris and their chief marketing officer Judy Laine assisted with developing the foundations for a possible agreement, which Bouwer described as a win-win solution for everyone. “During our discussions they stressed … that they wouldn’t consider the task without the industry’s buy-in,” she said.
“We believe that Wesgro is in a position to deliver what Knysna Tourism never could in all the years that we’ve been working basically in isolation…”
What next?
After receiving its members’ input, the Knysna Tourism board drafted a memorandum of understanding that will form the basis of the negotiated agreement between Knysna Tourism and Wesgro, including the marketing model.
The financial funding model and other key elements will be covered by an SLA between Knysna Municipality and Wesgro, which is yet to be drafted.
“Knysna Tourism and Wesgro working together will create a marketing strategy for the town that is built on the needs of the local tourism industry, that fits in with – and builds upon – provincial and regional marketing strategies, and that fulfils the needs of the tourism businesses and the people of Knysna and Sedgefield,” Bouwer explained.
She concluded that it is important for the 300 businesses that are members of Knysna Tourism to be aware that, should council fail to ratify the proposal, the process to close down Knysna Tourism will commence and be completed by 31 July. “There is no doubt that the adverse effects on businesses in Knysna and Sedgefield will be felt by the whole the town,” she said.
View an excerpt of the applicable sections of the municipal systems act online at www. knysnaplettherald.com.