By Thapelo Molefe
The DA has called for an investigation into a prolonged water outage in Sedgefield, accusing the ANC-led coalition government in Knysna of infrastructure mismanagement.
DA Knysna mayoral candidate Levael Davis said the disruption to the water supply system during a recent storm-related power failure was preventable and stemmed from the municipality’s failure to maintain critical infrastructure.
Davis said a backup generator at the Sedgefield water facility was not operational when electricity outages disrupted pumping operations, despite repeated maintenance requests from local teams.
“What we witnessed was not a natural disaster but the consequence of serious infrastructure mismanagement under the ANC-led coalition government,” Davis said.
He said a similar outage had occurred the previous week, but no repairs were carried out on the generator before the latest incident.
According to the DA, the failure meant water pumps could not continue operating during the electricity outage, leaving reservoirs unable to supply affected communities.
The party acknowledged the deployment of water tankers to provide emergency relief, but said the intervention came at a significant and avoidable cost.
Davis said he had written to the acting municipal manager requesting a full investigation and consequence management process to identify those responsible for the alleged maintenance failures.
The latest outage comes as Knysna continues to battle an ongoing water crisis driven by drought conditions, pressure on water sources and ageing infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the municipality declared the greater Knysna area a local disaster after water levels at the Akkerkloof Dam, the municipality’s primary storage facility, dropped to critical levels.
Residents were also warned that “Day Zero” could become a reality if consumption was not drastically reduced.
Under Level 4 water restrictions, households have been urged to use no more than 50 litres of water per person per day to help preserve supply.
The crisis has also exposed extensive infrastructure challenges within the municipality. DA ward councillor Sharon Sabbagh previously claimed that more than 56% of treated water was being lost through leaks, burst pipes and unmetered or bypassed connections.
In January, the national Department of Water and Sanitation said it was working with the Western Cape government, the Garden Route District Municipality, Knysna Municipality and other partners through a Joint Operations Committee to implement emergency interventions and long-term water augmentation plans.
Measures identified included groundwater development, borehole projects, water reuse initiatives and stricter enforcement of water restrictions.
The DA said it would prioritise regular infrastructure audits, preventative maintenance programmes and investment in water systems and backup power infrastructure if elected to govern the municipality.
“The Sedgefield community deserves a municipality that plans and identifies vulnerabilities before they escalate into crises,” Davis said.
