The following media release was issued by Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, regarding the service delivery protest in Hermanus and Gansbaai. The statement was published on 6 August 2025 as a letter in a local newspaper:
HERMANUS AND GANSBAAI SERVICE DELIVERY PROTEST
“On Monday morning the 4th of August I travelled to Gansbaai to try and help find common ground between disgruntled residents and the Overstrand Municipality. On my way there I recalled a similar situation in 2018 when violence erupted in Hermanus, resulting in hundreds of millions in damages to property, serious injuries to people, but above all, damaged relationships and destroyed trust amongst communities that live side by side.
I am writing this letter with a great sense of relief, because on this Monday, we managed to talk and listen to one another with respect and an underlying belief that the problems that led to the protest, can be solved.
I want to thank the communities of Gansbaai and Hermanus, and I want to thank the Overstrand Municipality and all other government role players who made this day a peaceful day and not a day of violence and destruction, as we can remember from the events in 2018. In 2018 all involved lost something. On Monday everyone was a winner.
However, as I listened to the issues being put on the table on Monday, I feel it is necessary to be honest and admit that government in South Africa, national, provincial and local, have failed the poor and vulnerable people of our country. We are currently grappling with issues caused by 30 years of government that is marred by ingrained corruption and looting of state resources. This has left us all poorer, but it is the poor and vulnerable people in our communities that suffer the most by far.
Listening to the practical challenges poor and vulnerable people are faced with, and the trade-offs they must make daily, cannot be ignored. I am getting a sense that we have designed and are trying to implement a type of government that is suited for the country we dream to be, but in fact it is failing the society that we are.
I am calling for a debate on what would constitute a dignified life in the real South Africa, and what must the role of government be in providing this opportunity of dignity to all legal residents. In my portfolio, that would be basic services such as water services, electricity, waste removal and other basic municipal services. It would also include environmental and ecological services that are needed for a dignified life.
When I have this conversation with colleagues or people on the street I engage with, one of the first responses I get is that there is no money to pay for more subsidised services for poor communities. I beg to differ: A lack of money is not South Africa’s problem. Our problem is one of weak leadership and bad management.
Overstrand Municipality and the affected communities of Gansbaai and Hermanus showed on Monday that strong leadership and competent management can lead the way to find solutions to even the most pressing challenges.”
