THE smelly Swartspruit has once again become quite a “nose-sore” for Kemptonians and more especially for those living nearby.
Residents in the area and motorists passing by have, in the past few weeks, been affected by the stench coming from the stream.
Swartspruit runs from Rhodesfield through Edleen, Van Riebeeck Park, crosses Pretoria Road into Glen Marais and then flows into the Rietvlei Dam in Pretoria.
Under the bridge that goes over Pretoria Road, large amounts of white foam have formed on the water, similar to snow.
Ward councillor and member of the environmental development oversight committee in Ekurhuleni, Tracey Lourenco, says the “shocking” condition of the river remains an on-going issue because the metro has implemented little, if any, measures to solve the problem, despite the serious affects of the pollution.
“I, together with my colleagues, Jill Humphreys and Jacque Meiring, conducted an oversight visit with an official from the metro. The pollution is at an all-time high, with foam resting on the water like snow on trees.
“The spruit is in a disgusting state, to say the very least. We were all struggling to breathe during our visit because of the gross stench from the pollutants in the water. The situation is getting worse by the day and residents living alongside the spruit are really battling with the atrocious smell,” Lourenco said.
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Following the oversight visit, Lourenco says she requested the results from water tests but the metro’s officials keep sending her “from pillar to post”.
“I assume there is something serious in those results the officials do not want me to see. I am in the process of drawing up an urgent motion to council and have asked questions on the matter once again. I will also be running a petition on this issue.”
Lourenco has blamed the under-resourced environmental department for the delay in the resolution of the Swartspruit issue.
“Ekurhuleni needs to fill the vacant positions within the department as a matter of priority and urgency. The department is immensely understaffed. It is currently running at eight per cent capacity and officials are often overburdened with numerous complaints and issues from the public.
“If the department was adequately staffed, they would have the capacity to investigate, diagnose and remedy the situation.”
She further states that the recruitment and training of environmental inspectors would also create additional employment, besides fulfilling the stated role in environmental protection.
“Water is a precious resource and wetlands play a vital role in the environment. The wetland is a channelled valley bottom wetland that receives water from the Swartspruit and storm water drains. The wetland drains back into the Swartspruit through the centre of Kempton Park.
“The Swartspruit in turn drains east into the Rietvlei River, which flows into the Rietvlei Dam, an important source of water for Tshwane Metro. Therefore, implications of the pollution are not unique to Ekurhuleni. Ekurhuleni needs to take serious action and roll out corrective measures.”
The DA demanded the metro provided comprehensive action plans on how this hazardous health issue is to be solved. Furthermore, the DA indicated that they would escalate the matter to higher structures, if the metro continues to be complacent.
