Years of sewage pollution in Addo in the Sunday’s River Valley Local Municipality compelled the FF Plus to lodge complaints with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the Green Scorpions.
Farmers in the Addo area who cultivate citrus fruits and farm with livestock are hot under the collar about the pollution problem which remains unresolved.
Farmers claim that it threatens their and their workers’ survival.
After receiving numerous complaints from these farmers, the FF Plus paid an oversight visit to the area.
Sewage was found flowing ankle-high through one farmer’s orange orchard. Most of the fruit is destined to be exported, but the pollution could prevent their exportation.
The sewage forms pools in Addo’s low-lying areas and flows under the R335 into the Sunday’s River.
In the Nomathamsanqa area, there are manholes located in storm water channels which connect to the water user association’s channels that are used for irrigating orchards.
Water flows from these channels to Cezars Dam which supplies the Addo and Paterson regions with drinking water.
Residents have received several notices from the Municipality stating that it is not safe to drink water from the tap.
The FF Plus itself brought the sewage problem to the attention of the municipal managers of the Sunday’s River Valley Local Municipality and the Sarah Baartman District Municipality numerous times, but every time the responsibility to address the problem was shirked through blame-shifting.
Meanwhile, farmers are making their own plans to monitor the pollution and remove blockages.
The ongoing sewage pollution not only violates residents’ human rights, but also violates environmental legislation and the FF Plus demands urgent intervention.
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