Raw sewage poisoning the Vaal River catchment area

1 June 2017

Thousands of kilolitres of raw sewage are being pumped into the Wilge River just outside Harrismith, in the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality. (See pictures here and here)

The DA previously wrote to the Green Scorpions to intervene, but they responded to us saying that the treatment plant is functioning properly. The problem is not the sewage plant, but the deliberate bypassing of sewage directly into the Wilge River.

The Harrismith sewage treatment plant has long been under pressure, and functioning at full capacity. The increased population in the area means that there is no capacity to deal with the additional sewage load, thus forcing authorities to direct a large percentage of sewage directly into the river.

This sewage flows for about 10kms through commonage and open spaces, creating a very serious health hazard to the community at Intabazwe. Cattle drink from this river of sewage and graze in the area, placing them at a very high risk of contracting disease. Apart from the risk of disease to human and animal alike, the stench in the area is unbearable.

Raw sewage from the suburb of Wilge Park is also flowing directly into the Wilge River, due to regular damage caused to the sewage pipe by contractors working in the area while sewage from the hospital is flowing over the sports fields of the Harrismith Primary School, the golf course and into the spruit which flows into the Wilge River. The sports fields have been cordoned off for the health and safety of children, who are now unable to continue with their sport activities.

This raw sewage eventually flows into the Vaal River catchment area, which poses a risk to downstream communities and the people of Gauteng, who are all dependent on this system for their water needs.

I have written to the National Minister of Water and Sanitation, to immediately intervene in this crisis. It is evident that the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality is unable to deal with the challenges of managing the water supply and sewage systems under its jurisdiction.

This is another example of how the collapse of good governance under the ANC regime threatens the health and safety of millions of South Africans. Free State municipalities are notorious for violating legislation governing effective and responsible water management, and are all complicit in poisoning our fresh water resources.

Our fresh water resources are too scarce and too precious to allow problems such as this to persist. The DA cannot afford that our communities, and the environment, are placed in danger because of the careless attitude of the ANC in government. The time for change has come. The DA has the policies and the political will to manage our natural resources effectively, to the benefit of all, and more importantly, for our future generations, who will inherit this land from us.

Issued by Leona Kleynhans, DA MPL, 1 June 2017