Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum announces Northern Cape’s blue and green drop results

AfriForum this year tested the water of various towns in the Northern Cape to determine the quality of this town’s drinking water (blue drop status) and sewage water (green drop status).

“We could determine that the drinking water in the following areas Douglas, Hopetown, Kakamas, Kamieskroon, Kathu, Keimoes, Orania, Postmasburg, Prieska, Springbok, Upington, Warrenton and Williston comply with the minimum standards and does not contain harmful bacteria. AfriForum will continuously test the water quality because residents have a constitutional right to clean drinking water,” says Werner Strauss, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Kalahari.

Blue drop results

These results indicate that the drinking water of all the towns of Northern Cape that were tested, is clean.

Green drop results

According to AfriForum’s green drop results 14 sewage treatment plants that were tested do not comply with the prescribed microbiological standards.

The civil rights organisation voiced its concern over sewage treatment plants in the municipalities that do not comply with the prescribed standards, namely Douglas, Hartswater, Hopetown, Jan Kempdorp, Kamieskroon, Kathu, Keimoes, Kimberley, Kuruman, Prieska, Upington, Warrenton and Williston. “We will further investigate the non-compliance and act where necessary,” says Strauss.

“AfriForum’s national blue and green drop project focuses on the state of drinking water and sewage treatment plants in towns. This project does not necessarily focus on the condition of the plant itself, but rather on the quality of the water that is supplied after this process as the end product in the form of drinking water and treated sewage water,” concludes Strauss.

AfriForum requests the DWS every year to compile a blue and green drop report and welcomes the fact that the Department earlier this year announced that it will again compile their blue and green drop report to determine the water and infrastructure quality of the country. As soon as the Department publishes their report, AfriForum will carefully work through and monitor it.

As the custodian of water the Department does not fulfil its obligation to enforce legislation when municipal authorities are the guilty parties. It is of the utmost importance that we continue to test the quality of drinking water and treated sewage water. We have to protect this vital important source.

AfriForum requests residents of the Northern Cape to give this organisation a mandate to continuously monitor the water quality. SMS “Clean water” to 45350 (R1) and support this action.