The Oakhill Chukka Festival has been cancelled after independent laboratory tests found the water at the Knysna Waterfront Marina unsafe for recreation, a situation worsened by the ongoing drought.
DA councillor Sharon Sabbagh blamed the municipality’s administration and coalition, saying the loss of the long-running event would cost the local economy millions.
The festival organisers announced on social media and the Oakhill School’s website on Friday that the event would not take place this year.
“With heavy hearts, Oakhill School, together with our partners and sponsors, are devastated to have to cancel the 2026 Oakhill Waterfront Chukka Festivals in February,” the school said.
Sabbagh said the cancellation would deal a heavy blow to hotels, restaurants, tour operators and other businesses that depended on major tourism events to sustain jobs and livelihoods.
“Events like the festival are not just sporting and cultural highlights, but also important for the local economy.
“When there are problems with governance, it creates uncertainty, lowers confidence and hurts the economy,” she said.
According to Sabbagh, other samples showed that the water in the marina was safe.
“While Oakhill School used independent lab results that raised concerns, I have also seen other independent lab samples showing the Knysna Waterfront marina water is currently safe for recreation.
“This shows the situation is complex and uncertain, not just a single clear-cut failure,” she said.
However, Sabbagh said the ongoing water, sewage and waste management problems in Knysna had created a risky and uncertain situation.
She said these long-standing municipal issues, not just water quality, likely played a big role in Oakhill School’s decision to cancel the event.
In 2025, the festival hosted more than 1,200 athletes from schools across SA and attracted thousands of visitors.
The athletes were joined by their families and friends, who came to support them.
The Greater Knysna Business Chamber is concerned about the cancellation.
Chamber chair Beverley Pothier said the festival had been a key event on the town’s calendar, celebrating school water polo and bringing thousands of players, families and supporters.
“For many years, it has made a real economic difference for hotels, restaurants, retailers and many service businesses,” Pothier said.
She said the organisers had made it clear that cancelling the event was for participants’ safety and public health.
“While we fully understand and support the safety concerns, there is still little public information about how the water quality was tested.
“We do not know which parameters were checked, if the results came from one test or several over time, or if the findings were from a single incident or an ongoing problem,” she said.
Pothier said the cancellation has already led to many accommodation cancellations and lost bookings, with about 10,000 visitors now not coming to the town.
This had an immediate and serious impact on local businesses, many of which depended on tourism during this time.
“It is premature to point fingers at any single entity or event until a thorough investigation is conducted.”
She said that once the review was complete, the chamber would work with the municipality and other stakeholders to make sure any issues were addressed quickly, openly and with clear action.
The municipality failed to respond to a request for comment.
