– Koingnaas Waste-Water Treatment Works has been dysfunctional since before 2021
– No progress has been made in getting the plant working.
– The DA hopes criminal charges will place necessary pressure on Kamiesberg municipality to act.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid criminal charges against the Kamiesberg Municipality, including its Municipal Manager, the Mayor, and the Director of Technical Services, for alleged breaches of the National Water Act 36 of 1998 and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008.
This follows the municipality’s ongoing failure to permanently address the discharge and dumping of raw sewage from the Koingnaas Waste-Water Treatment Works (WWTW) into the surrounding veld and environment.
Since being issued with a notice of intention to issue a directive in terms of Section 19(3) of the National Water Act by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on 19 April 2021, and despite subsequent oversight interventions, directives and threats of legal action, the municipality has repeatedly failed to stop sewer spillages, repair the WWTW, submit a workable plan to prevent future incidents, or appoint a registered professional to draw up a rehabilitation plan for the affected areas.
Green Drop inspections in August 2024 and August 2025 confirmed that no meaningful progress had been made, with the Koingnaas WWTW remaining dysfunctional and continuing to pollute the surrounding environment. This was further confirmed by the Northern Cape Department of Water and Sanitation in September last year, which found that the facility remains inoperable and that sewage continues to pool in the area. Ongoing oversight by the DA has also consistently shown that the WWTW remains dysfunctional.
We have proceeded with criminal charges because the continued discharge of untreated sewage near Koingnaas poses a serious risk to public health and the environment.
We hope that this legal action will finally force the municipality to fix and rehabilitate the Koingnaas WWTW and put an end to the pollution.
The DA will continue fighting for a safe, healthy and dignified environment for residents, while ensuring those responsible for years of sewage pollution are held accountable.