Charges against Overstand DA administration submitted to Police

As a kitesurfing instructor and watersport enthusiast, my journey with accountability started 15 years ago with persistent sewage spills into the rivers, estuaries and oceans of the Overstrand.

While some progress has been made, our administration has remained deaf to many complaints in this regard.

The biggest issue is that sewage pump stations were built in locations that are arguably among the worst possible from an environmental and recreational perspective—directly adjacent to rivers, estuaries and oceans, in many cases with overflow systems discharging into these natural water bodies. While they were constructed many years ago, it is highly questionable whether permission for their construction would be granted under today’s environmental legislation. Despite repeated requests, no meaningful consideration appears to have been given to relocating these facilities to reduce environmental and public safety risks.

The manner in which the public is warned about sewage spills has also been a long-standing concern, particularly at the Klein River Estuary. Sewage spill warning signs are erected in front of the Scout Camp sewage pump station, yet no warning signs are placed at the nearby main parking area where most swimmers, paddlers and kitesurfers access the water. Since the Scout Camp is hidden behind a rocky alcove, these signs are not visible from the main parking area or from the water’s edge where most people launch. As a result, unsuspecting water users may enter the estuary unaware that a sewage spill has occurred only a short distance upstream.

This issue has repeatedly been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities but has largely been ignored. On 19 May 2026, a friend and I went kitesurfing at the mouth of the estuary. As we progressed upwind, I noticed the familiar yellow sewage spill warning signs and realised that we may have exposed ourselves to contaminated water.

I subsequently sent an email to Dr. O’Neill enquiring about the incident but received no response.

Accordingly, I laid charges at the Hermanus Police Station under case number Hermanus MAS 93/06/2026. In South African law, criminal negligence is commonly assessed against the conduct of a reasonable person. The question is whether a reasonable person in the same circumstances would have foreseen the risk of harm and taken reasonable steps to prevent it, but the accused failed to do so.

In my view, requesting that sewage spill warning signs be placed where the majority of water users actually enter the water is both reasonable and practical. The risk of exposure to contaminated water is foreseeable, the cost of improved signage is minimal, and the potential consequences for public health are significant. Despite repeated representations over many years, this simple precaution has not been implemented.