KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Municipality could face legal action as concerns are growing over water pollution impacting endangered species, including the Knysna seahorse.
Lobby group AfriForum is demanding answers from the municipality after sporadic incidents of raw sewage from manholes running into the town's estuary has been reported since November last year.
"Most of the sewage ultimately runs into the Knysna Lagoon, which is the habitat of the Knysna seahorse," said AfriForum Southern Cape district coordinator Marthinus Erasmus.
The Knysna seahorse currently appears on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red data list of threatened species. It is the only seahorse species in the world that occurs in river mouth areas and according to the IUCN, numbers have declined by about 50% over the past decade as a result of, among other dangers, pollution.
Erasmus said that over and above the Knysna seahorse, sewage pollution in the lagoon also posed threats for the endangered Knysna leaf-folding frog. This frog is also under threat due to various reasons including pollution, and also appears on the IUCN red data list.
As a result of this, the AfriForum branch in Knysna wrote to the Knysna Municipality on 29 February, demanding that the municipality take immediate action against raw sewage flowing in the town’s streets. The group also highlighted the issues around refuse removal currently being experienced in the holiday town.
"Over and above requests about providing immediate solutions for the sewage and refuse removal crisis, the organisation demands the municipality supply an action plan to nip these problems in the bud in the future."
AfriForum also requested a meeting with the municipality to discuss how the organisation could assist the municipality in future.
"The municipality is busy failing in its duty to provide basic services for the area. It is concerning to see how a once well-oiled municipality could deteriorate in such a short period. AfriForum will however fight against this and ensure that positive changes are made."
Erasmus said this week that they were still awaiting information and feedback from the municipality in order for them to make informed decisions about the situation. Should this information and feedback not be forthcoming, Erasmus said, the organisation would meet with their legal team to discuss future steps against the municipality.
When asked for comment about the situation, Knysna Municipal Manager Ombali Sebola said concerns around sewage had been captured and detailed in the diagnostic assessment report that was initiated by Provincial Government and accepted by Council.
"The subsequent actions and execution of resolutions will adhere strictly to the guidelines outlined in the aforementioned report and action plan," Sebola said.
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