Senza premises at centre of spat between Knysna political parties
The former Senza Restaurant premises at the Heads has become a bone of contention again after the Knysna council agreed last week to lease the apartment at the site to acting municipal manager Dr Louis Scheepers and spending tens of thousands of rands on renovations.
The decision was made at an ordinary council meeting on Thursday 6 August, when only the DA voted against the move.
Scheepers has one month left of his three-month contract with the municipality as acting municipal manager.
According to the agenda, the municipality’s properties’ department had requested a quotation for materials for the renovations from local building supplies company Buco. The costs including labour is estimated to amount to approximately R50 000 for the renovations.
Speaking during the council meeting, DA councillor Michelle Wasserman pointed out that spending that amount on fixing the accommodation for a municipal manager who has only one month left is exorbitant and unrealistic. “Will it not be better for him to stay where he stayed in the past two months? We can accept the proposal on condition that we do not spend the R50 000 on renovations and he provides his own furniture,” she said.
Premises exposed to vandalism
According to the council item, the property has been unoccupied since 2017, during which time it has been exposed to vandalism and theft. It is for this reason that the premises are currently guarded by security services.
Mayor Elrick van Aswegen in a statement said council resolved that the municipality perform cosmetic upgrades to the apartment, which will be leased unfurnished to Scheepers at a market-related rental. “Aside from rendering the apartment habitable and capable of generating an income, it is important to maintain council property. The flat at Senza was one of two properties under discussion, and proved to be the least expensive option to spruce up right now,” he said.
Van Aswegen also stated that the municipality has a policy for accommodation and is within its rights to accommodate staff members. “The decision was simple: that we have two vacant flats in Milkwood Drive in Old Pace which is a three-bedroom and would cost a lot of money to fix and the other one is the Senza Restaurant,” he said.
Van Aswegen noted that Scheepers currently rents a flat in a block where three other residents have tested positive for Covid-19, which has meant that the acting municipal manager has already had to self-isolate for a total of four weeks.
“While Dr Scheepers did work remotely during these periods of quarantine, it is important to have the head of the administration at the office. Renting an apartment separate from other people greatly reduces the risk of exposure to infected persons and the related potential need for self-isolation,” the mayor said.
“Council has a responsibility to maintain its properties and having someone living on-site will add an element of security to an otherwise deserted site. It really is a win-win situation. A lease agreement will only be entered into should Dr Scheepers accept the terms and conditions of the contract.”
‘Irrational decision’
Knysna Independent Movement’s Susan Campbell said the decision is both irrational and immoral. “There is no money to waste and every cent should be spent on essential service delivery. Many Knysna families do not know where their next meal will come from. How can our politicians justify wasting R50 000 to renovate an apartment for our temporary MM, who earns more than R100 000 per month, when there are hundreds of apartments available for him to rent?
“Mayor van Aswegen tries to justify the patently irrational decision by making up his own alternative facts about Scheepers having to isolate because of positive Covid cases in the complex where he stays,” she said.
Campbell added that this version not only contradicts the municipality’s own press release in July (when the mayor and AMM self-isolated because of contact with a director), but has since been discredited by other occupants of the complex.
To this, Van Aswegen responded that Campbell, as a rule, believes she has information that nobody knows. “I think she should just phone the acting municipal manager … I can’t see how I can make an excuse, that is the information he gave to the council,” he said.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News