Not nice in Knysna as garbage piles up
Sewage spills in the streets on the Garden Route ‘jewel’
● A mountain of rotten garbage nearly two storeys high has finally been cleared amid a service delivery crisis unfolding in one of the Garden Route’s top holiday destinations.
Knysna is also grappling with sewage spills in the streets and pollution draining into the estuary. Water shortages in some parts of town have led to residents fighting over rationed supplies delivered by water tankers.
The Knysna municipality is governed by a wobbly coalition of the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, Knysna Independent Movement and the Plaaslike Besorgde Inwoners. It was previously led by the DA in coalition with the Patriotic Alliance, but the PA switched allegiance earlier this year.
Political intervention by Western Cape premier Alan Winde and pressure from residents halted a rubbish crisis in the town known as the “Jewel of the Garden Route”. But the famous Knysna Heads is being overshadowed by the town’s dirty habits. Truckloads of refuse had to be removed.
The provincial government has stepped in amid concern over a service delivery meltdown on the eve of the busy holiday season.
The municipality blamed the rubbish crisis on faulty equipment at its waste transfer facility and bad weather affecting deliveries of refuse to a Mossel Bay landfill site.
“Consequently, we made the decision to store refuse at the transfer station,” said municipal spokesperson Nwabisa Pondoyi.
“Compounding the situation, our hooklift truck experienced a major breakdown, necessitating extensive repairs that spanned approximately two months. We have already implemented various measures to begin mitigating the waste problem. We received assistance from George municipality and appointed two additional service providers.”
Provincial stakeholders insist the problems are largely due to mismanagement, not misfortune. Winde told the Sunday Times he stepped in after being informed of sewage leaks into the lagoon and the “mountain of rotting refuse”.
“I personally visited the site and also engaged the national and provincial departments of environmental affairs. I am usually not inclined to intervene in such matters, but when an elected local government cannot do its job and ... its negligence, ineptitude and dysfunction affect citizens’ health, as well as the local economy, then I must step in. It is very clear Knysna municipality has failed its citizens. Knysna deserves better,” he said.
“Obviously, as a former Knysna resident, the town is close to my heart but I am also responsible for the citizens of our province”
The province has also stepped in to monitor governance in other underperforming municipalities, such as Theewaterskloof and Beaufort West, he said.
Refuse problems are not unique to Knysna. The Garden Route is grappling with a shortage of disposal space — but the scale of the problem appears to have caught the town by surprise. The trash pile displaced a temporary taxi rank, which then occupied a nearby supermarket parking area, prompting legal action from businesspeople to remove the taxis. John Metelerkamp, one of those involved, said more legal action is likely to get the municipality to enforce the interdict. “If the [rubbish] dump hadn’t been there we wouldn’t be in this situation — everything is disrupted and there has been a knock-on effect,” he said.
The waste transfer station is not far from the Knysna Waterfront, a tourist hub.
The leaking sewerage system is another major concern, affecting multiple areas such as the upmarket Thesen Islands development where sewage spilt into the estuary.
“Both sewage pumps at the main pump station at the entrance to Thesen Islands have failed,” said a memo sent to residents on November 18. “This has resulted in the sewage sump reaching full capacity, resulting in minor spillages of liquids. This is an unfortunate consequence of nonmaintenance by [Knysna municipality].”
One resident said a pollution spill coincided with a triathlon featuring an estuary swim. He had struggled to avoid sewage overflowing into a parking area and then into the lagoon “about 100m from the route of the swim section”.
Water samples taken from the estuary and various culverts on November 17 revealed high levels of E. coli. National guidelines stipulate water quality for recreational use may not exceed 500 E. coli/ 100ml. Some test results were as high as 15,000/100ml.
Road maintenance is also falling behind, the resident said. “At least two road intersections that have been newly fixed and tarred over have suddenly sunk back into the ground by several feet, necessitating yellow cones and barriers that we have had to drive around for weeks.”
The town’s problems also prompted a visit this week from provincial local government, environmental affairs & development planning MEC Anton Bredell, who met with the full Knysna council. Bredell’s spokesperson, Wouter Kriel, said the province had appointed engineers to address the crisis. The council was instructed to formulate an emergency plan by Friday to deal with the challenges. An additional “support plan” would be presented to council next week, said Kriel.
In addition, the municipality was this week issued a predirective by provincial authorities to sort out its sewage pollution “as the municipality has not implemented reasonable measures” to address the problem in multiple residential areas.
“The municipality has 14 days to submit an action plan to turn things around for the better,” Kriel said.
It is unclear to what extent the issues have affected holiday bookings. Knysna Tourism referred queries to the municipality, which said it was still completing its plan for seasonal readiness “aiming to guarantee a worry-free festive season for all residents and visitors”.
It is very clear Knysna municipality has failed its citizens. Knysna deserves better Western Cape premier Alan Winde