Knysna residents are bracing for another two to four days without water as municipal teams scramble to resolve ongoing system failures that have left vast parts of the coastal town dry for nearly two weeks.
The crisis began when the town’s main domestic water pump broke down, disrupting supply to several areas, including Brenton-on-Sea, Biagai, Sunridge, and Noetzie.
The situation has since escalated, now affecting 11 wards and placing immense strain on the town’s infrastructure and residents.
Speaking to VOC News, Gift of the Givers spokesperson Mario Ferreira described the worsening conditions on the ground.
“Since last week it has escalated to 11 wards without water and the timeframe on when this is going to be fixed is uncertain,” he said.
“Things are getting volatile, and people are getting aggressive. While people are grateful, the majority are fed up and are now barricading roads. Knysna is broken, and it’s not getting better, this has been happening on a recurring basis, and this is the worst it’s ever been.”
Ferreira criticized local authorities for failing to adequately address the crisis.
He added: “These issues can be fixed, but the people in power are losing sight of the humanitarian factor.”
In the interim, Gift of the Givers has stepped in to provide critical relief.
“We’ve got five teams on the ground, water tankers running across communities, and trucks with bottled water servicing old-age homes, crèches, schools, businesses, and even some government departments,” Ferreira explained.
VOC News
Photo: GOTG/Facebook
