Knysna replaces MPAC chair
The Knysna council has voted in favour of replacing DA councillor Michelle Wasserman as the chair of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) with ACDP councillor Ian Uys.
This transpired in an ordinary council meeting on Thursday 6 August, in response to a motion by ANC caucus leader Claudine Croutz, who also proposed replacing the terms of reference that require the MPAC chairperson to be from the “largest opposition party” to reflect terms requiring the official to be “from the opposition parties represented in council”.
Eleven councillors voted in favour of both Croutz’s motions while eight voted against it.
Croutz said the current terms of reference unfairly exclude smaller opposition parties. “It is common cause that the municipality is experiencing financial challenges and it is therefore of utmost importance that we rope in skilful councillors to assist the municipality to navigate the organisation to excellence,” she said.
But Wasserman said the DA was against both motions as the ANC will choose people that will not hold them to account.
Mayor in support
Croutz was supported by mayor Elrick van Aswegen, who told Wasserman not to be selective when dealing with the issue of the MPAC terms of reference. “The DA should not be selective; I was in the same situation a few years ago when you voted for this regulation. I support the ANC in their support for smaller parties in council and acknowledging smaller parties for the benefit of democracy in council,” he said.
In a statement, DA Knysna constituency head Dion George said Uys lacks the legal training necessary for the task as MPAC chair. He said the committee deals with both financial and non-financial information, and that a legal mind is required to understand how issues fit into legislation.
“Wasserman was appointed to that role at the beginning of July 2020. She is ideally suited to the position as she has studied accounting at a university level, been the chairperson of the finance and governance committee, been a member of the audit committee, investigated the performance of municipalities for the SA Human Resources Council, practised as an advocate of the high court for five years and has been a councillor at the Knysna Municipality for just under six years,” he said.
“Although councillor Uys has financial qualifications and experience, he has no legal training and has only served as a councillor for two years.”
‘What are they eager to hide?’
Said George: “Perhaps the ANC and their mayor want to weaken MPAC even further by removing the incumbent and most suitably qualified councillor to hold that position? This then begs the question of why. What are the ANC and their mayor so eager to hide from scrutiny? What are they planning to do that they wouldn’t want MPAC to scrutinise? With its history of corruption and maladministration, the ANC and their mayor are now undoing one of the strongest mechanisms designed to hold them to account.”
In response, Van Aswegen countered: “Unfortunately the DA believe they are the only people who have qualified people to serve in these committees. They are portraying the municipality as corrupt while the majority of the corruption that happened in this municipality happened when the DA was in charge.
“They are continuing to create an impression that it is only Wasserman who can be the chairperson of MPAC and she portrayed herself as the only person for the job.”
To the allegations of corruption during the DA’s tenure in Knysna, George stated, “If the mayor has any proof he must come forward and open a case with the police. I will also be glad to investigate any corruption that happened or was done by our councillors.”
Asked for comment, Uys said he is from a party that has never been implicated in corruption, unlike the DA and the ANC. “I believe I am best qualified for the position to oversee their antics. As an experienced auditor, it is what I am best at doing. It appears to be a matter of sour grapes by the DA over the council decision to appoint me as the chairperson rather than one of them,” he said.
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