KOINGNAAS, Northern Cape — In a major legal escalation regarding environmental negligence, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has filed criminal charges against the Kamiesberg Municipality and its executive leadership over the ongoing Koingnaas sewage spillages. The opposition party is targeting the municipal manager, the mayor, and the director of technical services, accusing them of severe violations of national environmental and water legislation due to the relentless dumping of raw waste.
Allegations of Statutory Breaches and Systemic Failure
The criminal docket was opened following the local authority’s persistent inability to permanently resolve the discharge and illegal dumping of untreated effluent from the Koingnaas Waste-Water Treatment Works (WWTW) into the surrounding veld. According to the DA, the municipal officials are alleged to have contravened the National Water Act 36 of 1998, as well as the National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008.
The infrastructure at the center of this ecological disaster has been completely non-functional since prior to 2021. Despite the critical need for the facility, absolutely no progress has been achieved in restoring its operational capacity.
A History of Ignored Directives and Missed Deadlines
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) first served the municipality with a notice of intention to issue a directive under Section 19(3) of the National Water Act on April 19, 2021. However, in the years since, the local government has displayed a blatant disregard for regulatory compliance.
Despite facing multiple oversight interventions, formal directives, and the looming threat of litigation, the municipality has continually failed to:
- Halt the continuous sewer spillages.
- Execute essential repairs on the broken WWTW.
- Table a viable strategy to mitigate future environmental incidents.
- Appoint a registered professional to draft and execute a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the contaminated zones.
Audits and Inspections Confirm Stalled Progress
Governmental and independent audits have consistently highlighted the municipality’s failure to act. Green Drop assessments conducted in August 2024 and August 2025 verified that zero meaningful strides had been made. The evaluations confirmed that the Koingnaas WWTW remains entirely out of commission and continues to actively degrade the local ecosystem.
These alarming findings were corroborated by the Northern Cape Department of Water and Sanitation in September of last year. Their assessment revealed that the facility remains completely inoperable, with raw sewage still pooling dangerously in the surrounding areas. Furthermore, continuous independent monitoring by the DA has consistently echoed these reports, confirming the WWTW’s ongoing dysfunction.
Demanding Accountability for Public Health Risks
The DA maintains that the persistent release of untreated sewage in the vicinity of Koingnaas creates a severe hazard to both public health and the natural environment, necessitating this drastic legal step.
“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,” the party explained. “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.”
Moving forward, the DA has pledged to relentlessly advocate for a safe, healthy, and dignified environment for all residents, ensuring that the officials accountable for years of unchecked sewage pollution face the full consequences of the law.