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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Knysna will be writing to Knysna Mayor, Aubrey Tsengwa requesting a detailed payment plan in which his government intends to settle Knysna’s surging debtor’s book, which has increased by R200 million according to the municipality’s latest Section 71 report for July 2024, since the ANC/PA/PBI/EFF coalition of corruption took the reins in September 2022.

The regression of the Knysna Municipality’s financial performance in the recent Report on Local Government Audit Outcomes by the Auditor General is also indicative of Knysna’s financial decline under the coalition of corruption which continues to mismanage Knysna’s finances and rob residents of crucial services. This in comparison to the 20 DA-run Western Cape municipalities which achieved clean audits, including the City of Cape Town, the only metro in the entire country to do so.

Knysna’s financial mismanagement is further reflected in the Section 71 report, in which the municipality’s monthly financial commitments far exceed available cash by R75 million. This places Knysna in an untenable financial situation under the current government, where irregular municipal cashflow and financial management continues to place the state of the municipality at peril.

The DA in Knysna will also be requesting a detailed debtors report from the Chief Financial Officer to scrutinize large outstanding debtors, including Grey Elephant Investments (GEI) which allegedly owes the municipality in excess of R70 million in outstanding rates and services of which the coalition of corruption is currently negotiating a substantial write off.

Knysna’s debtor’s book as of July 2024, currently sits at R575 million – the highest it has ever been. Since the coalition of corruption took over in September 2022, the debtor’s book has increased by at least R200 million. At the current rate, Knysna will soon be financially insolvent leaving the entire municipality without any means to sustain itself.

Only a DA majority can save Knysna from the coalition of corruption and turn it into yet another financially stable and prosperous municipality in the province. The DA in Knysna will continue to hold the coalition of corruption accountable for Knysna’s financial collapse, but the only way to rescue the municipality is to vote for an outright DA majority in the next local government elections.

Issued by the Democratic Alliance