This is according to the Democratic Alliance’s MPL, Leona Kleynhans. Kleynhans says the Maluti-A-Phofung Water Entity, which is primarily supposed to look into sewerage issues and water supply to houses is not effectively addressing the crisis faced by communities. She says subsequent to her complaint to the Minister last year, the municipality provided water tankers to Qwaqwa and surrounding areas, but another crisis seemed to have surfaced, namely sewage spillage into the Vaal River Catchment System.

“Lately they have developed a problem in the Harrismith area where they do have a sewage treatment plant and water treatment and so on. But, now the situation is that a lot of the sewage is bypassing the treatment plant and that raw sewage is running into the Wilge River, which forms part of the Vaal Catchment System. It’s not just a little sewage leak, the water is absolutely streaming into the Wilge River at the moment.”

Kleynhans says they have once again written to the Minister to intervene. She says the sewage spillage is not only impacting the local community, but all the water users who get water from the Vaal River and the Vaal Catchment System.

Maluti-A-Phofung is yet to respond to OFM News’ enquiries.

OFM News/Katleho Morapela