KNYSNA NEWS - Eben Strydom, a long-time resident living directly opposite the Knysna Magistrate’s Court, says he and his family have endured years of relentless noise from industrial air-conditioning units, with little more than silence in response from the authorities.
Strydom has been leading the call for action since 2021, submitting extensive evidence including emails, video footage, noise recordings, and even a memory stick handed to the municipality.
“Our sleep is robbed from us every single night,” he said. “It’s like having multiple trucks idling outside our home from midnight to sunrise.”
Despite written notices and inspections promised by the Department of Public Works (DPW), the issue remains unresolved. A contractor reportedly visited in June 2023 but left without addressing the problem due to load shedding. Promises of Occupational Health and Safety visits have followed, yet the noise persists.
Strydom reported that on 21 August, all six air-conditioning units were running by 07:00 after being switched on in the early hours, a pattern he says is repeated almost nightly. “We got maybe two hours of sleep,” he added. “The intermittent motor cycling is unbearable, not a steady hum, but a constant disturbance.”
The homes in Spring Street are just across the street from the air-conditioning units at the back of the Knysna Magistrate's Court. Photos: Rozano Alie
Nwabisa Pondoyi, municipal communications officer, confirmed that the matter is being dealt with under the Western Cape Noise Control Regulations, PN 200 of 2013.
She explained that while written notices have been issued and an investigation is ongoing, a final notice and any legal action can only proceed once formal testing is conducted by a registered acoustic engineer.
After years of complaints and no resolution, Strydom says residents are considering taking the matter to the media or legal channels: “If the government won’t enforce its own laws, what choice do we have?”
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