AfriForum demands urgent intervention in sewage leak threatening Benoni dams

AfriForum’s Benoni branch has made an urgent request to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to immediately address a sewage leak on public land near the N12 highway. This leak directly contributes to the uncontrolled spread of water hyacinths in Benoni’s dams, which is causing serious ecological and economic challenges.

In a letter AfriForum has sent to the Ekurhuleni Metro on 23 January, water hyacinths thrive in water that is polluted with sewage and contains high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These conditions create an ideal environment for the plant to spread and have several consequences, including the obstruction of waterways (the flow of water streams is impeded), the disruption of ecosystems (water hyacinths remove most of the oxygen from the water, thus posing a threat to aquatic life) and health risks to humans and animals (the plants create breeding grounds for pests such as mosquitoes).

The Benoni community and the Municipality have already spent considerable resources and time to solve the challenge with water hyacinth. However, the sewage leaks are hindering progress, making it difficult to achieve lasting results.

According to Jurie Ferreira, AfriForum’s District Coordinator on the East Rand, the impact of this sewage leak is even more profound. “Not only does this leak cause ecological damage, but it also undermines the effort and tax that the Municipality and the community are already spending to solve the problem with water hyacinth. The Municipality must act urgently to implement sustainable solutions to sewage leaks,” says Ferreira.

In its letter, AfriForum has requested the Ekurhuleni Metro to repair the sewage leak as soon as possible, to implement sustainable waste management practices to prevent similar problems in the future and to work with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive and effective strategy against water hyacinths and sewer problems.

AfriForum’s Benoni branch has also invited the Municipality to work with the branch and other community organisations to find solutions to get rid of the water hyacinths, which are also polluting Benoni’s waterways, in a sustainable and effective manner.

“AfriForum’s Benoni branch is committed to protecting the interests of the community and will continue to apply pressure until this problem is resolved,” concludes Ferreira.

To get involved with AfriForum’s Benoni branch visit www.sluit-aan.afriforum.co.za or send an email to benoni@afriforumtak.co.za to support this initiative.