Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has announced an emergency relief allocation of R20 million for the Knysna Municipality, as part of urgent interventions to address the town’s intensifying water crisis.

The announcement follows Majodina’s two-day working visit to Knysna Municipality, in the Garden Route District, where she assessed the extent of the water challenges and met with local stakeholders. 

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During the visit,  Majodina, alongside Knysna Executive Mayor Thando Matika and officials from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), conducted inspections at key water infrastructure sites, including the Akkerkloof Dam, Karatara River and several municipal boreholes.

In a statement, Majodina said the Akkerkloof Dam, the municipality’s primary storage facility, is about 16% full, translating to an estimated 13 days of usable water at current consumption levels.

According to the department, the crisis has been worsened by a severe localised drought, ageing and poorly maintained infrastructure, high water losses through leaks, and ongoing vandalism.

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“The situation constitutes a serious water security crisis and warrants immediate and collective action,” Majodina said during engagements with stakeholders

The R20 million emergency allocation, reprioritised from water services infrastructure grants, will be used primarily to develop and revive groundwater resources, easing pressure on surface water supplies. 

In addition, DWS said it will deploy technical engineering expertise to assess and refurbish the Knysna desalination plant, with the aim of boosting water supply capacity.

Majodina also said her department is supporting the municipality with improved water resources planning and has already funded feasibility studies for a new small local dam to meet Knysna’s longer-term water needs. 

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She told the municipality to urgently reduce water leaks, install functional water meters, and address vandalism.

“The municipality must prioritise fixing leaks and managing demand. These are major contributors to the current crisis,” Majodina said. 

She asked the Western Cape Provincial Government to declare Knysna a disaster area, a move that would allow for the reprioritisation of resources and a more coordinated, comprehensive response to the crisis.

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Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina, and Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo, conducted an oversight visit to the Ash River Outfall in Clarens last weekend to assess the progress of the maintenance of the LHWP tunnel. 

The Minister and Deputy Minister were joined by Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation Deputy Minister, Seiso Mohai; Free State Premier Maqueen Letsoha Mathae; Free State Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Saki Mokoena, and the Executive Mayor of Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, Conny Msibi.

The maintenance and refurbishment of the 37-kilometre water tunnel has been ongoing since its closure on 31 October 2024.

Repair work on the South African side is being carried out by the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), while the Lesotho Highlands Development Agency (LHDA) oversees the maintenance work on the Lesotho side, focusing on the transfer tunnels at the Muela Hydro power station.

The repair work included mechanical, electrical, civil, and general works, as well as the repair of waterway steel lining to protect tunnel corrosion. The primary construction work currently underway on the South African side is the painting of the tunnel’s inner side.

While progress has been steady on the South African side, Majodina noted a slight delay in the maintenance work undertaken by LHDA. 

However, their work indicates that they are on track to complete the work by 28 March 2025.

Majodina expressed satisfaction with the progress on the South African side, acknowledging the challenges faced by their counterparts in Lesotho, but reaffirming their commitment to meet the 31 March deadline.

“I am satisfied that the maintenance work has advanced very well on the South African side, and I know that our counterparts in Lesotho are doing everything they can to ensure that we meet the deadline set for 31 March. We know that the contractors here appointed by TCTA to conduct the maintenance work are within the schedule.

“They have done an exceptional job even in difficult situations of rain and mist, which interfered with their work. However, they have pulled through and I would like to extent my gratitude to the work that they have done up to date,” Majodina said.

The Minister also visited the Clarens Water Treatment Works, which is undergoing an upgrade to increase its capacity from 1 to 4 megalitres of water per day. The upgrade will ensure a consistent water supply to Clarens and surrounding areas.

The supply of raw water from Townlands storage dam in Dihlabeng Municipality, which abstracts water from the Little Caledon River (a tributary to Caledon River) and is filled with water from the LHWP tunnel.

However, the dam levels have deteriorated due to the tunnel closure and exacerbated by a high-water demand over the festive season.

However, the Department of Water and Sanitation, through its Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG), has availed funds for the refurbishment of boreholes to the local municipalities of Dihlabeng and Mafube and Nketoana, to ensure consistent supply of water to the high lying areas of Kgubetswana (Clarens), Mamafubedu (Petrus Steyn), Petsana (Reitz), and Namahadi (Frankfort). The boreholes ensured that there is sustainable water supply to the communities.

– SAnews.gov.za

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