Скачать или смотреть Knysna’s Political Showdown: When Section 139 Lost the Script

Knysna, Western Cape — a town caught between real crises and political theater. On 12 September 2025, Western Cape’s MEC for Local Government, Anton Bredell, announced that the provincial government would dissolve the Knysna Municipal Council under Section 139(1)(c) of the Constitution and install an administrator.
Central News
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But that’s only act one of this drama. The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) stepped in, triggered under NCOP Rule 101, sending the matter to a select committee to investigate on the ground.
News24
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EWN
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Then, in a twist no one scripted, the NCOP voted against dissolving Knysna — seven provinces opposed, two supported — refusing the takeover.
Section 139 empowers provinces to intervene in local councils that “can’t or don’t” fulfill constitutional duties. But it is supposed to be a remedy of last resort, not a political weapon.
Central News
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NCOP Rule 101 authorizes the NCOP to refer such intervention proposals to a select committee to investigate, gather statements, and report back.
edgenews.co.za
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EWN
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Section 154 mandates that provinces must support municipalities (financially, administratively) before jumping to dissolution — an argument heavily used by Knysna’s defenders.
Cape Times
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DA / Bredell’s case:

Bredell painted Knysna as collapsing — raw sewage spilling, water pump failures, chaotic governance, budget collapse.
Central News
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edgenews.co.za
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Smile 90.4FM
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He claimed that dissolution was not political, but necessary to save the municipality and protect residents.
Smile 90.4FM
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Cape Times
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Knysna / Opposition’s counter:

Mayor Thando Matika accused Bredell of politicking and interference, saying that many of Knysna’s issues predated this administration and that progress was underway.
Smile 90.4FM
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Central News
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Critics pointed out that the province should enforce Section 154 support rather than dissolve the council.
Cape Times
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During NCOP oversight hearings, many stakeholders said Knysna was showing signs of improvement: filling senior posts, functioning committees, budgetary stability.
IOL
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Smile 90.4FM
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The select committee, led by Mxolisi Kaunda, visited Knysna and heard from municipal officials, civil society, and provincial representatives.
The Herald
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Their report recommended against invoking Section 139 — not because problems don’t exist, but because there was evidence of recovery and the constitutional bar for dissolution had not been met.
The Herald
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EWN
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In the final vote, seven provinces rejected dissolution. The takeover was blocked — Knysna remains under its existing council.
Parliament of South Africa
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This was not just a governance move — it was a political gambit by the DA-controlled province to reclaim influence over a hung council in a strategic locality.

The NCOP's refusal signals limits to provincial overreach when checks, evidence, and due process are demanded.

It reaffirmed Section 154’s importance — support, not dissolution, should be the default.

It showed that power is contested in constitutional spaces, not just in elections.

The tension between cleanup narratives and political control is the battleground in many municipalities.

Welcome to the backstage of South African political theatre — where laws, votes, and power moves intersect. Knysna was almost dissolved not because it failed constitutionally, but because someone believed it would serve their political script.

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