Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite in English by Cllr Luan Snyders.
The DA in Rustenburg acted after a continuous raw sewage spill formed tributaries and went unattended by the municipality for months (see photo here) despite several requests to intervene and attend to the spill.
We reported the municipality to the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), who accompanied us on an inspection to the affected areas and have since placed the Rustenburg Municipality on terms.
The DA welcomes the Notice of Intention to issue a Directive under Section 19(3) of the National Water Act for failure by Rustenburg Local Municipality to prevent raw sewage from degrading communities and the environment. See letter here.
As part of our whole of society approach, the DA, together with the Zinniaville Ratepayers Association and officials from the National Department of Water and Sanitation, conducted oversight inspections at various locations where the failures of the Rustenburg Local Municipality to maintain sewerage infrastructure and attend to blockages result in raw sewage overflows. See photos here, here and here.
It is unacceptable that the Rustenburg Local Municipality fails to safeguard residents and the environment from the pollution and related health hazards caused by raw sewage spills.
Following the Notice of Intent issued by DWS, the DA wrote to the Municipal Manager, Victor Makona, requesting that he table a workable response plan to attend to the raw sewage spills in line with the requirements set by the DWS at the next Council Meeting.
The DA will keep pursuing mechanisms available to us to force the Rustenburg Local Municipality to do its job and deliver service to residents.