Funding shortfall stops Vaal River clean-up
The SANDF is unable to continue its clean-up work of the Sebokeng wastewater treatment plant and sources of sewage pollution in the Vaal River until R873m has been released by the Treasury, according to environmental non-profit organisation Save the Vaal Environment (SAVE).
A Business Day report says raw sewage has been flowing into the river from pump stations in the Emfuleni municipality on the northern bank of the Vaal River‚ posing environmental and health risks. Communities affected by the pollution include Vereeniging‚ Sebokeng‚ Boipatong and Sharpeville.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced in his medium-term budget policy statement in October 2018 that the military had been called on to assist with engineering and other expertise to resolve the crisis in the Vaal River system. SAVE’s Maureen Stewart acknowledged the work the SANDF had done as ‘excellent’, but said that the latest development could have been avoided.
‘Emfuleni should have been declared a disaster area as far back as June last year. The on-going raw sewage pollution in the streets of Emfuleni and in the Vaal River is an infringement of human rights and contravenes the National Water Act and environmental legislation.’ The report notes SAVE won a court order against the Emfuleni council to stop pollution of the Vaal River and to come up with a funded plan to solve current emergencies and prevent another crisis.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
