Knysna Municipality could head to elections should it be placed under administration

CAPE TOWN - The town of Knysna on the Garden Route could be heading for new elections if plans to place the local municipality under administration go ahead.

Local Government MEC Anton Bredell has sent a letter to the municipality informing it of the intention to dissolve the council over service delivery failures.

The Knysna council is also accused of failing to endorse or adopt the department’s Diagnostic Assessment Report of the municipality's governance, financial, and service delivery matters.

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The assessment of the Knysna Municipality revealed governance failures, political interference, critical vacancies at senior levels, and a marked decline in service delivery.

The local government department said the municipality also failed to adopt a support plan of remedial measures aimed at assisting it to fulfil its constitutional obligations.

Provincial local government head Graham Paulse said plans are in place to address the challenges the municipality faces.

"It can happen that the administrator can prioritise some of these actions containing these plans, so that the services and the governance challenges can be restored in the municipality."

The law prescribes that when a council has been dissolved, fresh elections must take place within 90 days to elect a new council.