The Department of Water and Sanitation has issued a directive to the current owner of the Riverlands dams to safely decommission the failed dams.
Reflecting on the Ministry’s performance during its first 100 days in office at a media briefing held in Pretoria on Tuesday, Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodima, said a series of inter-linked, privately-owned dams failed on a farm near the town of Riverlands in the Swartland Local Municipality, Western Cape–during the 100 days–causing extensive damage to municipal infrastructure and houses in the town.
She said the Ministry visited the site of the dam failures, met with the community, and oversaw an investigation into the failures.
“The preliminary investigation report found that the original owner of the farm who built the dams failed to obtain the legally required approval from the department for the design of the dams, and that subsequent owners failed to register the dams with the department as required by the National Water Act.
“As a result, the dams were not regularly inspected, and signs of imminent failure were not identified timeously. Following the release of the investigation report, the department issued a directive to the current owner of the dams to safely decommission the failed dams,” Majodina said.
She said that further investigations are underway to determine liability for the damages caused by the dam failures.
READ | Riverlands report shows failure in meeting dam safety standards
The incident, which occurred on 08 August 2024, saw the failure of three farm dams that breached, resulting in flooding which caused severe property and infrastructure damage to the affected area, leading to hundreds of people being provided with humanitarian assistance.
Jagersfontein Tailing Dam report submitted to NPA
Majodina also reported that the report into the Jaggersfontein Tailing Dam in the Free State has been submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) following the laying of criminal charges against the dam owners by the department in 2022.
During the 100 days, the department completed its comprehensive technical investigation into the 2022 failure of the Jagersfontein Tailings Dam, which resulted in three deaths and one person declared as missing, as well as extensive damage to public and private property.
“The report has been submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority following the laying of criminal charges against the dam owners by the department during 2022.
“During the 100 days, a Request for Expressions of Interest issued by the department for proposals to develop tourism and recreation related to the department’s dams was finalised and the 300 applications which were received are currently being processed,” Majodina said.
READ | Mashatile encouraged by progress made in Jagersfontein
Launch of phase one of Hammanskraal water project
Meanwhile, Majodina said the department will launch Phase One of the Hammanskraal water project on Saturday, 16 November 2024.
The project includes the provision of an additional 12.5 megalitres of water.
The Ministry visited Hammanskraal on 24 August 2024 to oversee a R750 million project which the department is implementing through the Magalies Water Board to enable the provision of clean drinking water.
“The project involves the construction of additional water treatment capacity at the Magalies Water Treatment Works near Hammanskraal. The Ministry also carried out a site inspection of the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works to review the progress of the municipality’s project to refurbish the works,” Majodina explained.
Special purpose vehicle
The Minister further reported that a Special Purpose Vehicle by the Rand Water Board and the Emfuleni Local Municipality is in the process of being established.
This follows an oversight visit by the department to Emfuleni Local Municipality in Gauteng on 25 August 2024, where the department, through Rand Water, is implementing a R7.5 billion intervention in terms of Section 63 of the Water Services Act to address sewage pollution from the municipality’s waste water treatment systems.
As a result of the intervention, a number and frequency of sewage spillages into the streets and peoples’ homes has been significantly reduced.
She said work is underway to completely eradicate sewage pollution in the municipality.
“A Special Purpose Vehicle by the Rand Water Board and the Emfuleni Local Municipality is in the process of being established. It will be launched once all the legal requirements have been fulfilled which include the approval by the National Treasury.” – SAnews.gov.za
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