A diagnostic and support plan is being finalised to assist the embattled Knysna municipality which faces financial woes.
The municipality has been battling with service delivery, including the distribution of water and issues with sewage and refuse collection, due to lack of maintenance and investment in basic infrastructure.
According to Local Government MEC Anton Bredell, engineers from the department were dispatched to Knysna to formulate an emergency plan to address the challenges
Bredell met with municipality officials on Tuesday to evaluate issues.
“The department is finalising a diagnostic plan for Knysna, and concurrently to this, a support plan, which is being compiled with the support of both provincial and national departments, is being finalised. These two documents will be presented to the Knysna council next week, and if it is accepted, a broad range of support interventions will be available to help Knysna return to better fortunes.
A pre-directive to the Knysna Municipality (has been) issued regarding sewage pollution. It was issued as the municipality has not implemented reasonable measures to address ongoing raw sewage spillages emanating from overflowing manholes and sewerage pipelines in the Hunters Home and Hornlee residential area and at the Woods Lake Brenton residential area,” said Bredell.
Council has been given 14 days to submit an action plan.
“To ensure a thorough assessment, officials from the province are scheduled to begin the official evaluation early next week,” the municipality said. “This proactive approach suggests a commitment to addressing and understanding the challenges faced by the municipality in these key areas. It also implies a collaborative effort between the provincial government and Knysna Municipality to assess and potentially improve the current situation of the town.”
ANC Southern Cape regional spokesperson Moyisi Magalela denied that the municipality had run out of money
This after the DA in the region said poor service delivery was due to a municipality under the “incapable and dysfunctional ANC-led coalition of corruption”.
Magalela said it was disingenuous for the DA to make such statements and it was the competency of both the provincial government and the district to assist municipalities through inter governmental relations.
“Knysna Municipality is not bankrupt but rather faces cash flow problems. They are able to meet all their monthly commitments. The Waste Management Department is actively working on addressing the current backlog. The issue of water is due to reservoirs unable to pump water due to load shedding, and there is a demand in water, this caused a strain on the resources of the municipality. Some areas including Hornlee, Khayalethu and parts of towns water has been restored,” he said.
Cape Times