Persistent sewerage effluent flow into river concerns residents
MOUTSE – Concerned residents in Moutse outside Groblersdal have expressed concerns over the snail’s pace at which Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) is moving in attending to the persistent problem of sewerage effluent flowing into the Moses River, one of the water sources in the area.
Residents complain that it has been over four months since the issue of the sewerage spillage into the river was reported but nothing has been done by the district municipality to address the matter.
Seun Mogotji, Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA) leader, an position in SDM Council, said that they have gone as far as reporting the problem to the office of the Public Protector to request attention on the health risky situation.
Mogotji indicated that the office visited the site to witness firsthand how dire the situation was and that the municipality made a commitment to attend to the matter following the visit.
However, Mogotji charged: “Last week, the office of the Public Protector asked me if the problem was solved and I went to the site only to find that it was still the same. Nothing has changed and our people are dying a slow death due to all the toxic waste deposits in the river.
What are the intensions of the SDM and in particular, the office of the Municipal Manager regarding this issue? Is it okay for our people to use contaminated water from the river and get sick or even worse, die as a result. What exactly must happen before the SDM takes this matter seriously and treat it with the urgency it deserves.”
Mogotji called for a swift and positive response from the SDM as people and livestock as well as domestic animals continue to face the life threatening situation from the sewerage effluent’s continued flow into the water source.
Khomotso Ndlovu, Acting SDM Communications Manager, said the matter at hand was receiving the utmost attention.
Ndlovu indicated that the SDM was in the process of procuring the sewer booster pump needed to fix the system.
“This sewer will be fixed in no time. We are well aware of the sewer challenges and we are attending to it,” concluded Ndlovu.
