AfriForum files criminal complaint against Municipal Manager over sewage spillage in Vaal River
Community intervenes in water lettuce crisis, government holds aimless meetings
The civil rights organisation AfriForum today laid criminal charges against April Ntuli, the Municipal Manager of the Emfuleni Local Municipality, and now insists that Ntuli be prosecuted in his personal capacity for the dumping of raw sewage into the Vaal River in this municipality. This large-scale spillage provides, among other things, a favourable breeding ground for several invasive plant species, including water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), the occurrence of which has increased alarmingly since the end of last year.
Meanwhile, AfriForum also criticised the government today for its lack of commitment to the tackling of this critical problem. On the other hand, AfriForum and several other organisations and community members have been working hard for months to limit the spread of this invasive species and thereby protect the sensitive Vaal River ecosystem.
According to Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Regional Head for the Central Region, the government has been dragging its feet with the water lettuce crisis for months. “Although the government has already convened numerous meetings with the community, they are taking months to approve specific actions to tackle the problem. In the end, it always comes down to the community to put their hands in their pockets and get to work to fight this natural disaster,” says Grobbelaar.
During a recent public meeting, government officials argued that the government only has R2 million available to spend on the Vaal River crisis. This is despite the fact that Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, launched a R2,6 billion programme, “Working for Water”, in November last year for the control of alien invasive species and the restoration of natural habitats.
An overview comparison between the input of the community versus that of the government in combating the water lettuce crisis since the beginning of 2024, offers a glimpse of the government’s unwillingness to solve this matter:
| Community | Government | |
| Spending | More than R6 million | None |
| Removal of water lettuce | More than 168 000 m3 of water lettuce removed | None |
| Days worked | Volunteers have worked 80 + days on the Vaal River | None |
| Hectares sprayed | 214,36 ha | None |
| Number of meetings held | 20 + |
Grobbelaar emphasises that the financing for the removal of water lettuce in the Vaal River has so far only come from the pockets of the community. “Meanwhile, the government is lining their pockets monthly with tax money that is supposed to be allocated for the use of this project,” he explains. “Although the spraying of herbicide on water lettuce in the Vaal River is done under the supervision of Rand Water, we would like to see the government also start doing something concrete to remove these invasive plants from the river.”
Moreover, according to Grobbelaar, the decay of sewage plants in the Emfuleni Local Municipality is at the heart of the current problems in the Vaal River system. “Large-scale pollution takes place daily in the Vaal River and is the primary cause of the uncontrolled growth of water lettuce here. We will continue to pressure the authorities to properly manage sewage plants. In this way, we can tackle the secondary problem, namely the growth of water lettuce. The community is currently dealing with the secondary problem, but the government must also urgently fulfil its duty regarding the primary cause.”
File a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (HRC)
AfriForum encourages the public to submit complaints regarding the dumping of untreated sewage to the Human Rights Commission (HRC). “Citizens have the right to a clean and safe environment. At the moment, the government is violating that right and must be called to account to correct it,” concludes Grobbelaar.
Complaints can be lodged here: http://artikels.afriforum.co.za/waterslaai-in-die-vaalrivier/
Make a contribution
Members of the public, businesses and organisations who want to get involved in the water lettuce project can make a donation. Money donated for this project will be used to finance the water lettuce clean-up campaign. The bank details are as follows:
Account name: AfriForum NPC
Account number: 623 4989 8398
Branch Name: FNB Centurion
Branch code: 261-550
Reference: Vaal River
