The Western Cape Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) welcomes the progress made by Knysna Local Municipality to improve the quality of water resources. Knysna Municipality has been inundated with letters of transgression and directives from the DWS, for repeatedly polluting vital water resources. This included discharging contaminated water into rivers and lack of proper solid waste management by the municipality.
In March this year, a high-level delegation of DWS officials led by Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr Sello Seitlholo, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and government entities such as South African National Parks (SanParks) and the Breede Olifants Catchment Management Agency (Bocma) met with the delegates of Knysna Municipality to contemplate legal action against the municipality.
After a day of negotiations, a decision was taken not to proceed with the legal action but to support the Municipality represented by its management team including the Municipal Manager and Executive Mayor.
Since then, the Municipality has been working tirelessly to manage the pollution of water resources and improve their quality. Some of the milestones that municipality has achieved after the visit of the Deputy Minister include the following:
- An action plan has been developed
- The Water Services Development Plan (WSDP), a statutory requirement under the Water Services Act (Act No. 108 of 1997), has been completed and will be tabled at Council on Friday, 30 May 2025 for adoption
- In the spirit of cooperative governance, the municipality has also engaged the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in discussions aimed at resolving compliance matters through intergovernmental processes, rather than litigation
- Key resolutions adopted during the Water Indaba and Summit are now being implemented as part of the municipality’s commitment to improved service delivery
- One such resolution was the establishment of the Water and Sanitation Community Forum, launched on 10 April 2025. This platform will facilitate ongoing, two-way dialogue between the municipality and the community, ensuring that public input is actively integrated into the planning and delivery of water and sanitation services
Knysna Municipal Manager, Mr Lulamile Mapholoba said he was happy with what the municipality has done in this short space of time.
“This marks a significant milestone in strengthening long-term water and sanitation planning across the municipality,” he said.
Western Cape Provincial Head of DWS, Mrs Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa said her department was looking forward to more progress. “They must have the Action Plan approved by the Council and all the remedial actions must be adhered to with immediate effect,” said Mrs Bila-Mupariwa.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
#ServiceDeliveryZA
