This was a hopeful message to DA members this past Friday:
DA members and supporters, will your leadership make you fearful at 5pm today at the meeting at the Knysna Angling Club?
Will you choose to make a difference or will you continue to support the damage being done to our town by the current, dirty version of the DA?
Make the DA better!
From my viewpoint, there’s a definite difference in the DA between: 1. Those who deliberately support crime and maladministration or don’t care because they’re more interested in conservative cliques and the real (or pretend) power that goes with being in that in-crowd. 2. Those who mistrust the DA but can’t bear the thought of voting for anyone else (because they are, very arguably, worse).
If you’re conservative and bigoted, longing for (whether you admit it or not), the “good old days of the National Party)”, know that i’m not addressing you, your disgrace or illogical inadequacy as we face challenging times that are guaranteed to defeat us if we shared your attitude. Talking about the blindness of ANC voters from the comfort of your DA bias is plain hypocrisy [there is good and bad in almost everything. Even more important than possessing sufficient humanity to look for it in others is to act good ourselves – not “act” opinion but the “act” in action that makes a difference].
THANKFULLY, THAT ISN’T ALL DA VOTERS! I have to hold onto that hope that the majority mean well and can see the bigger picture of our town. I’m talking to you who loves Knysna and wants to keep on living in the prettiest town in our messy country. I’m talking to you who realises that the future looks bleak because present attitudes aren’t working. I won’t deny you your ANC corruption cries (because they’re true) but i will decry any who don’t possess enough honesty to admit that there’s fault everywhere and pointing at a bigger sin of another’s doesn’t absolve our own.
I have met many such as you, mostly the normal working stiff, the good girls and guys who’re trying to hang onto their job or business whilst wanting spare change for beer after you’ve paid for petrol – you’re who i relate to most. The danger is that, too often, we fall in a rut that plans day-by-day rather than next year. It’s even more dangerous when we forget what has happened the past 4 years, pretending that nothing has changed and the DA is as blue as ever. Well, let me make it clear – NO OMO IS GOING TO WASH THIS COUNCIL CLEAN. We all have an old t-shirt we love to wear but eventually it gets so many holes that we reluctantly have to toss it in the garbage. Strangely, it isn’t long before it’s forgotten and we’re wearing a new, cool tee. look to the future.
That old shirt, our favourite sin, is smack-bang-dang-in-front-of-us – the Knysna Council and the Knysna Municipality that seem to think that we work for them and not them for us, that we better listen-or-else… f*%* that!
I’m not trying to convert you (hell no – all our political parties suck) but if you insist on being a voter then at least make the DA bluer and cleaner.
“I’m not retired and conservative. I am retired and wise. I am the custodian of the future for the next generation.
Tonight, as they have been doing recently, DA leadership will try put fear into you. They will make you think that if you don’t give them your unquestioning, undying support, the ANC is going to take over Knysna next election. It’s true, the ANC do stand an even shot at that because the two new councillor positions will likely be black and, because of that bias, ANC. The new ICOSA is likely to win a seat or two but if they make a self-serving alliance (so as to try gain a Mayoral Committee position), Knysna loses no matter who they choose to do so with.
The fact is that DA supporters are in a strong position to actually get the DA to do what they want it to do. You shouldn’t have to negotiate or strong-arm those who are supposed to serve you but that’s the sad reality of our current Council.
Sure, tonight you’re going to rant and rave about the intention of our Mayoral Committee (MAYCO) to support public drinking areas but, when you eventually win, do so alongside uncomfortable thoughts such as potholes in Welbedacht only being repaired (badly) as elections approach. And i’m betting that some councillors will see this as an opportunity to advance their own agendas within the party. Don’t blindly trust any Councillor seemingly doing the right thing in one moment. It’s politics. There is undeniably different camps within the DA. There was from early on but it became more defined as people chose sides regards the ISDF, the 30-year plan for our town, and the controversial appointment of Grant Easton as Municipal Manager.
There are many things that i can point out to you but there’s no time as i rush this letter off to you so just consider these few:
Why was Knysna Municipality given a clean audit when so many major faults were discovered by the Auditor General’s representative?
Why has the DA never come clean about their expensive office upgrades, committed to, illegally, outside of the budget.
Why is the DA unconcerned by the Municipality paying for the studies, unrelated to municipal duties, of ANC councillors (it only adds to my suspicion that there is no ANC and DA in Knysna, only them and rogue property developers against us)?
Why was no one punished for the crimes committed by Knysna Tourism? Why was the ex-CEO given R270 000 along with him signing a non-disclosure agreement. Why were the Board members, who by law were more responsible than the CEO, not punished? In fact, some were promoted and given more power.
Although nothing wrong was found against the ex-Municipal Manager, Johnny Douglas, why did the DA pay him a fortune to leave?
Who benefited from the R30-million in debt arrears that was written off?
Why was there no public consultation for our Buffalo Bay property that was sold (keeping in mind that more are to come).
If we are so solvent, why did several banks refuse to quote us for a loan… and then the loan we got becomes double with interest?
And so on and so on…
Sure, my hate brigade is going to remind you that i’ve been losing court cases, as if that somehow undermines my questions – they don’t! Ask yourself why the DA has refused public debate and transparent investigation into the many serious matters i’ve presented????? Ask yourself why, instead, they flood me with defamation cases.
What’s more important to you, getting real answers or the words i use to call our politicians dirty? Which action is more important to understanding what the hell is going on in our town?
Those of you who attend the Democratic Alliance’s meeting this evening (and those who intend voting for them), have power in your hands that can make not only the DA a better, bluer party but also Knysna a better place. Please make the Knysna DA more blue and true.
Love Knysna by demanding answers. Remind them that they work for you!