Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Jacques van Rensburg and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will escalate the sewage crisis in the Xhariep District Municipality by calling for stronger enforcement measures by the Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) of the Xhariep District Municipality to protect residents and the environment.
Unchecked sewage spills continue to threaten public health, farmland, and the ecological integrity of key water sources, including the Orange River, Gariep Dam, and surrounding groundwater. (See photo here).
In Trompsburg, large amounts of raw sewage are flowing into the local spruit due to the non-functioning sewage pump station (see photo here). In Bethulie, sewage regularly leaks from manholes towards the Orange River. In Matlakeng, Zastron, residents have been exposed to sewerage leaks next to their homes since October 2021. (See photo here and here)
Despite repeated compliance notices issued by the Xhariep District Municipality, local municipalities have demonstrated neither the political will nor the technical capacity to address the crisis.
The lack of meaningful enforcement and remedial action has allowed the situation to deteriorate, with communities bearing the brunt of administrative inertia.
We call on the Environmental Health Practitioners of the Xhariep District Municipality to inspect and assess the various sewerage leaks in Mohokare, Kopanong, and Letsemeng, and to ensure accountability for the pollution.
They should proceed with long-term monitoring instead of relying solely on complaints from residents. It is highly problematic that the District spends 81% of its budget on employee costs, yet has little to no budget for the operationalisation of EHPs to conduct site inspections across Xhariep.
The people of Xhariep deserve clean water, a safe environment, and leadership that prioritises their well-being over political expediency.
The DA will continue to report environmental non-compliance to the Xhariep District, calling for harsher enforcement and holding all spheres of government accountable. We will not rest until the ecological rights of Xhariep’s residents are fully protected.