Demands to end crisis
KNYSNA - A large group of residents gathered outside the municipal building in Clyde Street to protest the water crisis and waste management issues that have plagued the broader Knysna area. The protest coincided with a municipal meeting held on Thursday 15 February to address the failure of service delivery.
Community coming together
The northern areas of Knysna have been acing a prolonged period without water, causing residents to boil over with frustration.
Water trucks have been allocated to the various areas but there have been issues with coordination, with many people not being able to access water from the trucks.
The ongoing water crisis has been attributed to a lack of maintenance and neglect to upgrade the infrastructure for many years. Protesters called for transparency and communication in matters pertaining to the upkeep of the town’s service delivery, as well as a timeline for when the issues would be addressed. In addition, they questioned where funds are being allocated to.
"I deal with different communities on a daily basis," says Lynn Kayster, a community leader of Hornlee and member of Changes for Knysna.
"Hornlee has a big issue. This water crisis for Hornlee alone has been ongoing for a year. The community is tired of hearing the excuses of vandalism, lack of funding etc. So often we hear about a lack of funding for the designated areas but we are not being told [how] the funding is being accounted for."
This issue affects not only the northern areas, but also the central areas of Knysna and surrounds, resulting in a clear knock-on effect. In the last two weeks alone, numerous pipe bursts in the CBD have occurred leaving areas without water.
Resilience
Knysnarians have banded together to bring awareness to the issues faced in various areas and working together to help their fellow residents by implementing water initiatives. Those with the necessary resources also offered to help cart away refuse that has been accumulating. While the community has taken it upon themselves to mobilise their own power and map out solutions for themselves, they still need proper support from local governance to do their jobs.
Municipality responds to the protest
The executive mayor and deputy mayor both acknowledged the ongoing community protest as the municipal council meeting took place.
Knysna Executive Mayor Aubrey Tsengwa has addressed the issues of delays in refuse collection and water supply interruptions in the town.
“The Hornlee area has experienced significant development, leading to increased demand on the available water supply and straining the existing infrastructure, which is over 30 years old.”
Tsengwa says water storage is an ongoing challenge, with water running out of reservoirs as soon as it is pumped in.
‘Pumping takes place during off-peak times, allowing the municipality to throttle distribution and raise reservoir levels as much as possible.”
He also put the blame on load shedding, saying it is hampering water storage capabilities, and the Garden Route District Municipality provided three generators, but two have been returned already.
“Fixing vandalism and replacing stolen parts divert funding from other projects or is delayed as there often is no funding for such unplanned costs.
“A shortage of specialist staff is another contributing factor to the overall problem.
“Following standard supply chain management protocol, 15 technically qualified staff members will be appointed, including process control and system control specialists and assistants.”
Tsengwa says public-private partnerships are also being considered to secure water storage and supply for the future.
Funding
Tsengwa says the lack of funding has a determining effect on all of these factors and any mitigating plans that the municipality is considering. “The municipality has applied for a Municipal Infrastructure Grant of approximately R3m for the procurement of generators, and secured R8m from the Water Services Infrastructure Grant that will be made available on 1 April. With adequate funding and the cooperation of relevant stakeholders, the water situation will be solved in a phased approach.”
He says public-private partnerships are also being considered to secure water storage and supply for the future. ‘Deloitte and BlueROCK, a non-profit organisation that offers unbiased technological advice and guidance, have delivered a presentation to the council on 15 February. Both organisations proposed an independent audit on a municipality’s finances, allowing technical departments to evaluate potential scenarios and prepare accordingly.”
In the meantime, water tankers continue to service the affected areas, and the people of Knysna once again showed their community spirit. The current refuse collection service is unpredictable and frustrating for all residents, and there are many smaller problems that must be addressed individually.
The municipality is considering various options such as entering into lease agreements for trucks with service providers, outsourcing the collection of refuse within certain areas, and relocating the transfer station to a more suitable area.