he Merafong City Local Municipality is facing criminal charges over its ongoing sewage pollution. On October 17, concerned community member Jerry Ramokgoatedi informed the Herald that municipal contractors were seen offloading raw sewage from “honey sucker” trucks into a large manhole on the Khutsong side of the Wonderfonteinspruit.

“They do this despite being well aware that the pipe, which is supposed to transport sewage to the Khutsong Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), is broken,” Ramokgoatedi complained.

He reported the incident to a senior municipal official and requested urgent intervention. However, later that same morning, the Herald spotted three honey-sucker trucks, all with Mpumalanga number plates, pumping sewage into the same manhole. Evidence of earlier dumping was also visible, and it appeared the activity continued after the Herald left. The pipeline meant to carry sewage across the Wonderfonteinspruit remains broken.

Sewage was visibly leaking from the pipe and cascading from the bridge into the river below. This untreated sewage flows into the Wonderfonteinspruit, which joins the Mooi River, a source of drinking water for Potchefstroom. Sewage has been leaking from this pipeline for years.

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSUnkYvpQ/

Following these problems, Ramokgoatedi again contacted the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). Philemon Mphahlele, from the department’s Directorate for Enforcement, confirmed that a case had been opened and legal action against Merafong is underway.

A hearing date will be set soon. Meanwhile, Mariette Liefferink, CEO of the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, has also been actively challenging Merafong’s pollution practices. In a letter to her, DWS Director-General Dr. Sean Phillips noted that the department had allocated R19.7m to Merafong in 2019 to upgrade the Khutsong WWTP, following efforts to resolve the municipality’s wastewater issues.