KAKAMAS, Northern Cape – The Department of Water and Sanitation has issued a stern directive to the Kai !Garib Local Municipality, demanding immediate corrective action following damning regulatory assessments that reveal a catastrophic decline in water and sanitation service delivery across four communities.
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo made the declaration during a site visit on Friday, 29 May, where he inspected failing infrastructure and engaged municipal leadership in Kakamas, Keimoes, Kenhardt, and Vredesvallei – towns under the municipality’s jurisdiction as a designated Water Services Authority.
Regulatory Scores Signal Systemic Collapse
The department’s latest Blue Drop and Green Drop assessments paint a dire picture. Kai !Garib’s Blue Drop score – which measures drinking water quality management – has plummeted to 16.20% in 2023, a stark decline from 71.42% recorded in 2014. All 16 of the municipality’s water supply systems now fall within the critical performance category.
The situation is even more severe for wastewater management. The municipality’s 2024 Green Drop score has collapsed to 0.3%, down from 13% in 2021 and 34% in 2013. Wastewater treatment plants in Keimoes and Kenhardt scored 0.0%, while the Vredesvallei facility has remained non-operational for over three years.
Infrastructure Failures Pose Public Health Risks
Persistent sewage overflows from manholes, malfunctioning pump stations, compromised stormwater systems, and overloaded oxidation ponds have resulted in the contamination of local watercourses. Deputy Minister Seitlholo warned that the continued deterioration of this infrastructure poses severe public health and environmental hazards to residents.
The municipality draws its primary water supply from the Orange River via a canal managed by the Kakamas Water User Association. The canal, originating from a weir near Marchand, serves both municipal water systems and irrigation networks supporting the region’s vital vineyard industry.
Despite repeated non-compliance notices from the department, Kai !Garib has made limited progress in addressing identified shortcomings, according to official assessments.
Targeted Funding Delivered, But Implementation Lags
In response to aging infrastructure at the Kakamas water and wastewater treatment works – facilities that have exceeded their operational lifespan – the Department of Water and Sanitation allocated over R12 million through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) for refurbishment. An additional R7 million was provided for upgrades to the Vredesvallei Wastewater Treatment Works. Both projects reached completion in December 2025.
Furthermore, the municipality submitted a 2023 feasibility study proposing the construction of a new wastewater treatment works in Kakamas, alongside a bulk water supply system designed to serve Kakamas, surrounding villages, and commercial farming operations.
Urgent Corrective Action Plan Ordered
During his inspection of the Kakamas oxidation ponds, Deputy Minister Seitlholo instructed municipal leadership to develop and submit a comprehensive corrective action plan by the end of June. The plan must include:
- A detailed analysis of specific system failures
- Defined corrective activities and technical restoration strategies
- Clear implementation timelines with measurable milestones
- Regular progress reporting mechanisms for critical wastewater systems
“Water and sanitation services in Kai !Garib municipality have reached a critical state,” Seitlholo stated. “The reality is that this municipality requires joint interventions from the Departments of Water and Sanitation and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. This intervention should align with the reforms proposed at the Water and Sanitation Indaba held in 2025.”
The Deputy Minister emphasized that the department will maintain close monitoring of the situation. “We hope that the municipality will work within the timelines to restore the infrastructure that will provide clean drinking water and dignified sanitation to the communities,” he concluded.
Residents in the affected towns await tangible improvements as pressure mounts on local leadership to reverse years of service delivery decline.