Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbite in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Bea Campbell-Cloete.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has today opened criminal charges under National Environmental Management Act (No 107 of 1998) against the City of Matlosana’s Municipal Manager (MM), Theetsi Nkhumise, and the MM for Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, Shirley Mabedi Lesupi, for allowing the continuous pollution of the Pannetjie and the Republic Park in Stilfontein. See photo here.
The charges relate specifically to Section 49(A)(1)(e) and (f), which regulates the conservation and protection of the environment.
We trust that the SAPS will investigate this case with the diligence it deserves so that justice can be served.
The DA has for years called on the Matlosana Local Municipality and the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality to attend to the raw sewage flowing directly into the Pannetjie and the Republic Park contaminating the freshwater and polluting the area, however, to date, no effective intervention has been made to stop the flow of raw sewage and to rehabilitate the affected areas.
The raw sewage and sediment flowing into the pans are so severe that it kills fish and waterfowl. Please see photo here, here, here and here.
The Pannetjie is also used as a recreation spot for residents, the DA is concerned that this contamination poses a health hazard to the community members.
The sewage spills are caused by an old decaying infrastructure that has not been upgraded and is not maintained regularly. The pollution caused by the effluent and sediment has not been rectified, there are no installed pumps to circulate the water and no water testing is ever conducted.
The Pannetjie has deteriorated from a community recreational area which tourists used to visit, to an overgrown and putrid dumping site.
There has been little intervention from both the local and the district municipality.
There have been several acts of vandalism and theft and the DA reported this to the local SAPS who have not assisted to prevent this.
The people of Stilfontein have a Constitutional right to live in a healthy environment that is not harmful to their health and wellbeing. The DA will continue to fight for the people of Stilfontein.