The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the arrest of three senior Knysna Municipality officials, saying it vindicates their investigations into alleged corruption and maladministration at the municipality. Former Knysna Mayor Thando Matika, acting Municipal Manager Boy Ngubo, and acting Chief Financial Officer Busisiwe Lubelwana were arrested by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) on allegations linked to kickbacks in a municipal security contract.
The arrests were made on October 2, 2026, and the three officials are expected to appear in court. The DA said that the arrests marked a turning point in the town's corruption era and demonstrated their primary concern had always been holding those responsible to account. The party emphasized that arrests alone were not enough and that any public money found to have been unlawfully lost must be recovered.
The Knysna Municipality has been grappling with political instability and service delivery challenges. The DA said that every rand lost to corruption was money that could have been spent on basic services. The party stressed that the focus must now turn to ensuring proper prosecution of any wrongdoing and the recovery of public funds where losses were proven.
The DA has been conducting investigations into alleged corruption and maladministration at the Knysna Municipality over the past three years. The party said that the arrests demonstrated that their efforts had been fruitful and that they would continue to hold those responsible to account. The DA's provincial leader, Nkosikhona Malinga-Mnisi, said that the party would monitor the case closely.
The Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) made the arrests, which were welcomed by the DA. The team was established to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in municipalities. The DA said that the arrests showed that the team was effective in its mandate and that it would continue to support their efforts.
The DA's call for the recovery of public funds follows a similar call from the Portfolio committee, which recently slammed the Department of Women over R52m irregular expenditure. The DA said that the recovery of public funds was essential to ensuring that municipalities were accountable and transparent in their dealings.
The DA will continue to monitor the case and ensure that those responsible are held to account. The party's efforts to hold those responsible to account have been fruitful, and they will continue to push for the recovery of public funds.
Key points
- The DA has welcomed the arrest of three senior Knysna Municipality officials on allegations of corruption and maladministration.
- The arrests were made on allegations linked to kickbacks in a municipal security contract.
- The DA has called for the recovery of public funds, saying that every rand lost to corruption was money that could have been spent on basic services.
