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In a Special Council meeting convened today to consider only the salary increases of Councillors, the ANC/PA/PBI/EFF coalition-led Council voted to implement substantial salary increases for councillors effective from 1st July 2024, which includes a nearly R1 million annual remuneration for the Executive Mayor. The DA strongly condemns this decision, at a time when the municipality is suffering a severe financial crises, an inability to deliver basic services, and a backlog of critical, unfilled vacancies that undermine the daily lives and wellbeing of Knysna’s residents.

The council item tabled the annual salaries as follows:

Executive Mayor: ANC Cllr Tsengwa - R971 690

Deputy Executive Mayor: PBI Cllr Marbi - R777 353

Speaker: ANC Cllr Skosana - R777 353

Member of the Executive Committee: ANC Cllrs Matika & Andrews and PA Cllrs Charlie & Grootboom - R728 770 each

Chief Whip of Council: ANC Cllr Khumelwana - R728 770

Chairperson of Oversight Committee: EFF Cllr Louw - R714 128

Part-time Councillors: All DA & KIM Cllrs, plus 2 ANC Cllrs - R307 494 each

This is the second attempt by the coalition to have salaries increased as the MEC declined permission due to an unfunded budget. The DA in Knysna calls on the Executive Mayor and his coalition partners to, rescind this self-serving salary increase in light of MEC Bredell’s letter dated August 2024, addressed to Mayor Tsengwa, “urging the Council to demonstrate its commitment to the turnaround of the municipality by forgoing backpay salary increases as it is currently operating with an unfunded budget.”

The DA voted against this salary increase calling for the funds to be redirected toward urgently needed repairs and maintenance of our bulk infrastructure. The DA Knysna Caucus will table a motion for the rescinding of this item at the next available opportunity, and we will also be writing to Minister Bredell to put an end to this madness and ensure that he does not give concurrence to these backpay increases, with particular emphasis being placed on Knysna Municipality’s audited financial statements before concurrence is considered.

While residents endure continued service delivery failures and public trust in this Council is at an all-time low, this increase in councillor pay is morally indefensible. Prioritizing personal pay over the community's basic needs reflect the Coalition of Corruption's disregard for the real needs of our municipality.

Moreover, in a closed session of today's special Council meeting, the Infrastructure Directorate presented findings on the widespread water outage that currently affects Knysna, revealing that the ANC/PA/PBI/EFF coalition’s poor budgeting and gross mismanagement have crippled the Infrastructure Directorate’s capacity to maintain or repair our critical infrastructure. These failings have resulted in a growing inability to deliver on the most basic of mandates, including access to reliable water supply, due to persistent neglect of bulk infrastructure.

Our residents deserve a Council that places service delivery above personal financial gain. It’s time for real accountability and genuine dedication to the people of Knysna.

Issued by Sharon Sabbagh - DA Knysna Caucus Chief Whip & Spokeperson on Finance