Provincial Cabinet notes Knysna Municipality service delivery challenges

Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning today described the challenges experienced in Knysna Municipality and the support measures provided by the Western Cape Government (WCG) to address the governance, financial, and service delivery challenges the municipality has been struggling with for most of 2023.

“Knysna Municipality is a cautionary tale of service delivery decline. This was evident this summer holiday period when this once proud holiday destination suffered water, sewage, and waste removal challenges at a time when it should have been pulling out all the stops to impress visitors and residents,” Minister Bredell said.

Minister Bredell presented a document to the provincial cabinet describing the several challenges, which includes governance, service delivery, and financial challenges.

In terms of governance, the municipality has made several senior appointments that either did not meet minimum relevant work experience or qualification requirements as prescribed in legislation. The municipal council created political positions within the offices of certain council members, which were unlawful and set aside by a court of law. “Some of the vacant senior manager positions, have subsequently been advertised and filled with suitably qualified candidates, as prescribed in law,” Minister Bredell said.

During the summer holiday period, the town was plagued by sewage spillages, water supply and waste removal interruptions. “We had a team of technical people in Knysna that worked with the municipality on these issues. We coordinated water tankers and refuse removal trucks from adjacent municipalities to support Knysna. In addition, we assisted in cleaning and refreshing large parts of their drinking water reticulation system when it came to light that a corpse had been found in a water reservoir providing drinking water to the town. We are now considering reallocating funding to the municipality for the construction of infrastructure such as an additional water reservoir, as well as to recommission old water pipelines while a more sustainable system can be designed for longer-term growth and water security of the town,” Minister Bredell said.

Regular sewage spills into the natural environment also need to be addressed, and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning is working closely with the municipality to address these issues.

In terms of financial health, Knysna Municipality regressed to a qualified audit outcome for the 2022/23 financial year. The municipality achieved unqualified audits for the previous four consecutive years. “The WCG remains committed to providing support and financial advice to Knysna Municipality, and we are hopeful that this offer will be taken seriously going forward,” Minister Bredell said.

Minister Bredell said a draft diagnostic assessment report has been completed which assessed all the above, and more. This will be presented to the Knysna Council, and if approved, will serve as the basis for a support plan which the municipality will have to implement with the support of the WCG.

“Knysna is going through a difficult time, and we are aware of the frustrations many of the residents are experiencing. Changing the trajectory of the Municipality is possible, but it will require a team effort that includes all stakeholders,” Minister Bredell said.