Media Release: GRDM delivers health outreach at a Knysna Informal Settlement

For immediate release
12 June 2026

The Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) conducted a health and hygiene awareness inspection at an informational settlement situated near the Knysna Waste Transfer Station. This was done in commemoration of World Environment Day, celebrated annually on 5 June, combined with Food Safety Day, which took place 7 June.

According to Johan Compion, GRDM Senior Manager: Municipal Health, Waste Management, Air Quality: “This settlement, in existence for roughly 2 years, comprises of nine informal structures, housing 21 people (12 men and 9 women)”.

“Of most concern is that the site in its current form is not connected to basic services such as water and sanitation.”

New settlements, not forming part of Integrated Development Plans, and budgets of municipalities always run the risk of resulting in serious health hazards to the occupants because basic services were not planned by the relevant planning departments of a municipality.

Health and Hygiene Interventions

Focus areas by the EHPs relating to environmental health included the following:

• The importance of hand hygiene practices
• Safe food preparation (including clean fires and environmental pollution control)
• Personal hygiene practices (including safe waste disposal/sanitation)
• Personal health screening
• Communicable disease awareness

  

  

After completion of the awareness session, residents were given 9 potable water containers and hand soap. Containers hold up to 20 litres of water each.

GRDM EHPs further identified urgent infrastructure gaps that pose environmental and public health risks to residents and the adjacent Knysna Estuary.

GRDM will continue to ensure that there’s ongoing coordination with the Knysna Local Municipality and other stakeholders to provide sanitation, water access, and waste management to prevent contamination and protect community health.

ENDS