Businessman lambasted over disaster relief
A local businessman says he has been put through the wringer recently after a report appeared in a national Sunday newspaper depicting him as the reason fire victims could not access relief donations stored on his property.
Following the article, Jim Parkes of Geo Parkes & Sons says he has also been “slated”, as he calls it, by a social media group consisting of a couple of thousand women.
An excerpt from the report, which appeared on the Sunday Times’ website on 23 December, reads as follows: “Tons of donations to Knysna fire victims are stuck in a disused shopping centre due to a commercial dispute, leaving needy residents stranded.
“Between 4 000 and 5 000 bags and boxes of clothes and linen from across South Africa, some bearing personal notes from donors, are gathering dust more than six months after the devastating fire that left thousands homeless.
“And, it emerged this week, thieves have been stealing from the hoard.
“The problem is due to a dispute between prominent Knysna businessman Jim Parkes and the city council. Parkes has refused to release the donations because of a row over rates and rent.”
‘No row overrates’
Jim Parkes and the Knysna municipality have both denied the allegations regarding a “row over rates” outright.
“From the day I allowed donations, probably about 1 000 tons’ worth and of which an estimated 200 tons are left to be stored on my property,
“I have had no involvement in the distribution thereof. I also never asked for rental fees or anything of the sort. In fact, the municipality approached me themselves with a rental offer,” Parkes says.
Regarding accusations that he himself has been restricting access to the donations, he replies, frustrated, that this too is not the truth.
“From day one nobody took responsibility for those donations, but it is on my property and therefore I have certain obligations.
“I did restrict access after the initial volunteers ceased operating as I could not allow anyone to help themselves, but I never told the initial volunteers to cease operating – they all stopped of their own accord.
“After these first volunteers stopped operating, I had many requests from volunteers and victims to open the storage area so that they could collect donations, but again, it was not my place or responsibility to distribute these items.
“If I had let everyone do as they please without authorisation, I would have been held responsible if something went wrong or if items were stolen,” says Parkes.
What makes these accusations even stranger, he says, is the fact that he has been thanked by many different individuals and organisations for the small part he played.
One such organisation is the Southern Gateway Church, which even sent him a thank-you card (a copy of which is in Knysna-Plett Herald’s possession).
“The point is, I can’t give access to something that isn’t mine, and it is a shame that people have slated me over the issue without knowing all the facts,” Parkes says, adding that the only thing that the nasty comments have achieved is to put him in a bad light and to anger fire victims who possibly still need the donations.
Out of Parkes’ hands in December
“The matter was completely taken out of my hands on 15 December, and I was informed by the municipal manager Kam Chetty that the municipality’s department of social development would take matters into their hands.
“The keys to the store were handed over and I thought the issue would be resolved,” he says.
Since then, he adds, he has had even less involvement with the donations.
Parkes reiterates that he never allowed any person to remove donations from his building without municipal approval.
“What is getting to me, even more, is the fact that I originally made this gesture out of community spirit, as my family has been doing similarly for many years, but now I am getting nailed for it,” he concludes.
Responding, municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhout says the Woodmill Walk Centre’s municipal account and the remaining fire relief are two separate issues and are not related.
“The municipality’s head of disaster management confirmed that we have access to the building.
“The provincial department of social development (DSD) is the responsible authority for the distribution of aid.
“They are part of the Garden Route Rebuild Initiative (GRRI), established by Western Cape premier Helen Zille following the fires of 7 June 2017. The DSD will soon move and deal with the remaining aid,” he adds.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News