An oversight visit by the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development to the Mogale City Local Municipality (Krugersdorp, Magaliesburg, Muldersdrift) revealed serious problems relating to the reckless pollution of tributaries and the mismanagement of the Luipaardsvlei Landfill.
The Committee, chaired by the FF Plus, strongly condemned the impact of sewage pollution on public health, agriculture, economic development and the natural environment in general.
The waste meant for the Luipaardsvlei Landfill, which has been closed for weeks on instruction of the Gauteng Department of Environmental Management, is currently taken to nearby landfills.
The Luipaardsvlei Landfill was clearly poorly managed. Criminal complaints have been lodged by several institutions due to repeated fires at the site.
Due to vandalism and poor maintenance, the Flip Human water treatment plant is polluting the Rietspruit and Vaal River, while the Percy Stewart water treatment plant is polluting the Bloubankspruit and Crocodile River.
The latter runs through the Cradle of Humankind, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the Hartbeespoort Dam.
The Committee also noted a report by African Potential Partnership which found TB organisms and elevated levels of heavy metals in the water.
The polluted water poses a risk to human and animal health, and could even jeopardise food security. In this regard, a complaint was lodged against the Mogale City Municipality for its failure to treat raw sewage.
The Committee further expressed its concern about the vandalism of the incomplete sewage plant of the Dr Sefularo Village low-cost housing development in Hekpoort. The sewage overflow discharges directly above the Magalies River. Farmers in the area rely on water from these rivers for irrigation purposes and water for their livestock.
The FF Plus will fulfil its role in the Gauteng Legislature by keeping the pressure on the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and the Mogale City Local Municipality to prevent any further water pollution.
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