Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Marelize Boeije and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. See attached picture here and video here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will formally escalate the ongoing sewerage crisis in Moqhaka to the municipality, following inspections that confirmed raw sewerage flowing into the Vals River.
This environmental disaster poses a severe risk to public health and threatens the community, necessitating urgent and effective intervention.
On 24 September, I visited the Viljoenskroon Sewerage Works, where it was confirmed that raw sewerage is flowing out of the plant.
The following day, 25 September, Cllr Chris Dalton and I visited Pump Station A in Kroonstad at the river banks. We found that the pump station is out of operation due to a leak, causing raw sewage to flow directly into the Vals River.
When the operator attempted to start the pumps, the pump station filled with sewage. Although the outside levels dropped, the sewerage inside the station remained unchanged.
At this stage, the banks of the Vals River are clogged with sewage, with the overflow continuing to flow through stormwater drains into the river.