Tourism got dealt a huge blow in Jeffreys Bay as the Kouga Council voted to continue with the eviction of the Ski Boat Club from their premises on Main Beach.
Despite voracious objections from the Democratic Alliance, the Kouga Council (led by the ANC majority) rammed through the decision to take back the Ski Boat Clubhouse to use as a library.
DA Councillor Brenton Williams proposed that the Kouga Council seek a win-win situation and that the Ski Boat Club be allowed to build an extension onto their building and that the Municipality and the Club both then utilise the premises.
Williams highlighted that tourism will suffer if the Ski Boat Club was evicted as the Club organises fishing competitions that inject money into the local economy and that many people come to Jeffreys Bay on holiday to fish from their boats.
However, Williams was accused of trying to perpetuate apartheid and that the premises were required for service delivery.
The speaker of the Council, Magdalene Dhlomo refused to allow the DA’s proposal to be debated.
This lead to Councillor Chimpie Cawood proposing that the original decision of Council to evict the Ski Boat Club, be rescinded. This would allow a new proposal to be debated by Council.
This was also pushed off the table by the ANC.
The DA, through Councillor Danny Benson then tried to present a Motion of Exigency to Council in a last gasp effort to find a compromise that would be to the benefit of all concerned.
This motion was put to the vote and the ANC used their majority to stop the motion from being debated by Council.
It now appears that the Municipality is heading towards yet another costly court case, as the Ski Boat Club has indicated that they will fight the eviction in court.
kougademocrat 
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