Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo has criticised the Kai !Garib Local Municipality in Northern Cape for failing to implement remedial actions to address its poor water and sanitation services.
According to the latest Drop regulatory assessments released by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the municipality’s water and sanitation services have regressed to a critical state despite repeated non-compliance notices issued by DWS directing the municipality to correct the situation.
Deputy Minister Seitlholo visited the municipality on 29 May 2026 to engage the municipality and assess progress in implementing remedial actions submitted to the department to address the poor performance.
Kai !Garib Municipality is a Water Services Authority responsible for water supply services and wastewater management for four towns including Kakamas, Keimoes, Kenhardt and Vredesvallei. It relies on the Orange River and a Canal that is managed by Kakamas Water User Association as the main water source supplying water supply systems and water storage ponds located at the existing water treatment works (WTW). The canal flows from a Weir alongside Orange River in a small settlement of Marchand, and is used for irrigation of agricultural activities, particularly the vineyards in Kakamas.
However, the municipality has a history of noncompliance on its water and sanitation services, and it has done little to rectify the situation.
The municipality’s 2023 Blue Drop score has dropped significantly to 16.20% from 71.42% in 2014, with all 16 of its water supply systems now classified in the critical performance category. Wastewater services have also experienced an even more dramatic decline, with the 2024 Green Drop score falling to 0.3% from 13% in 2021 and 34% in 2013. Keimoes and Kenhardt both scored 0.0%, while the Vredesvallei plant remained out of operation for over than three years.
The municipality has also failed to take reasonable measures to prevent the continuous overflow of sewage from manholes, dysfunctional pumpstations, stormwater and oxidation ponds in the four towns which continues to deteriorate gradually, resulting in contamination of local water courses, posing severe public health and environmental hazards.
Due to the aging infrastructure of the water and wastewater treatment works in Kakamas that have past their serviceable lifespan, the DWS through its Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) has funded more that R12 million for the refurbishment of Kakamas Water Treatment Works (WTW) and Vredesvallei WWTW to the tune of more than R7 million. The projects were completed in December 2025.
Kai !Garib local municipality has also submitted a feasibility study to DWS in 2023 to construct a new WWTW at Kakamas, and a Bulk Water Supply System that will supply water to Kakamas and the surrounding villages, as well as to the commercial farmers.
Deputy Minister Seitlholo visited the oxidation pond in Kakamas and has urged the municipality to take immediate corrective action plan that outlines the specific areas of failures, corrective activities to be undertaken by the municipality, technical plans and progress reports for the restoration or upgrades of identified critical wastewater systems, the timelines and the expected improvements.
“Water and sanitation services in Kai !Garib municipality have reached critical state, and the reality is that this municipality requires joint interventions from the Departments of Water and Sanitation and Cooperative Governance and Tradional Affairs. The intervention should also be done as per the reforms that were proposed at the Water and Sanitation Indaba held in 2025. I have ordered the municipality to submit their corrective action plans before end of June, and we will continue to monitor the situation. We hope that the municipality will work within the timelines that will be able to restore the infrastructure that will provide clean drinking water and dignified sanitation to the communities,” said Deputy Minister Seitlholo.
Enquiries:
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
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