Winde seeks disaster declaration amid W. Cape fires, water crisis

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, says his administration has approached the national government for a disaster declaration, amid water challenges and crippling wildfires in the Boland and Garden Route.

Over the weekend, Winde met with his Energy and Water Council to discuss the management of water shortages in some areas.

Winde says below-average requires a holistic approach to secure water resources.

“There’s around R844 million being spend over the next two years in our municipalities that excludes the City of Cape Town. The City of Cape Town have got a number of big projects that run into the many billions of rand.. desalination and water re-use.. and some of the biggest projects on the African continent. And then of course it’s also the Wester Cape.. ourselves… investing more than two billion rand into bulk water infrastructure over the medium term. That is align to our water resilience plan and our 15 year that has been on the go already.”

WC Premier Alan Winde requests disaster declarations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgD2upyN6jE

🚰Watch as Premier Alan Winde explains how the DA-led Western Cape Government is stepping in to address Knysna’s water crisis, working to stabilise supply, assess whether a disaster should be declared, and build long-term resilience so residents have reliable, clean water access. pic.twitter.com/rDWqP3kApg

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 21, 2026