GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Municipal Manager of the Garden Route District Municipality Monde Stratu will stay in office for now. 

This was decided at a special council meeting on Tuesday 14 March, following Stratu's appearance in the Knysna Magistrate's Court last Thursday on charges of fraud, forgery and uttering. The GRDM council also resolved to carry Stratu's legal costs.

Stratu and a former municipal manager of Knysna, Dr Sithemebele Wiseman Vatala, appeared in court on charges relating to an alleged property dispute of millions of rands.

A statement released by GRDM on Tuesday afternoon reads that Council unanimously expresses its support for Stratu, "who has been maliciously prosecuted for fraud, forgery and uttering". It is further stated that Council believes that there are no reasonable grounds or evidence available to date to conclude that Stratu has commited an act of misconduct.

Knysna Councillor Susan Campbell of Knysna Independent Movement (Kim) confirmed that she laid charges relating to the matter back in 2020, when she was chairperson of the Knysna Ratepayers Association. 

In 2021 the acting Knysna municipal manager at the time, Dawie Adonis, also laid criminal charges regarding the matter.

In 2021 the Acting Knysna Municipal Manager, Dawie Adonis, also laid criminal charges regarding the matter. 

"The case was investigated by the Hawks and they found that Stratu was complicit in the case," said Campbell. "The charges were initially laid against Vatala and Mbelelo Memani, the former CEO of Knysna. Memani is currently the municipal manager of Bitou."

Campbell said the dispute involves property valued at about R60m.

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