The Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) is being dishonest by claiming that allegations of raw sewage spilling into the Vaal River system are untrue and that the City Council adheres to environmental laws.
Municipal Manager April Ntuli appeared briefly in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court today on seven charges of water pollution and violations of environmental laws. The case was postponed to 1 September after the National Prosecuting Authority added a further 66 charges.
Ntuli’s denials follow several instances where the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) pointed out to the Council that its sewage treatment plants are not only inadequate, but that defective infrastructure means waste water does not even reach these plants.
Despite Statistics South Africa’s official figures showing a 29% population increase from 2016 to 2022, Rand Water reports indicate that the volume of sewage arriving at the three main treatment plants has significantly decreased over the past decade.
Ten years ago, around 250 megalitres of raw sewage arrived at the Sebokeng plant and around 36 megalitres at the Rietspruit plant for processing every day. These volumes have now dropped to 134 megalitres arriving at Sebokeng and 27 megalitres at Rietspruit per day.
At the Leeuwspruit plant, the volume has fallen from 48 megalitres per day to 13 megalitres over the same period.
The millions of litres of sewage which cannot be accounted for do not simply disappear.
They spill into the environment, seep into underground water sources, pollute streams and tributaries, and ultimately flow into the larger river systems – of which the Vaal River is the most important in the area.
Confirmed statistics do not lie, no matter how vehemently the ANC-controlled Emfuleni Local Municipality denies them.
It is particularly concerning that Emfuleni keeps spending money on legal representation to defend its poor performance in court, despite damning evidence against it, which led to the addition of 66 more charges.
The Freedom Front Plus will continue to hold Emfuleni accountable in court and disprove misleading statements on the matter.
The party will also keep fighting to safeguard the Vaal River and residents’ health.
Freedom Front Plus Public Engagement: The party actively engages in public debates and forums on national issues.
Ozzie Treat
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