Officials to step into Sabie waterkrisis
When Local DA councillor Mr Johan Ligthelm recently inspected the town's sewerage plant, he made the shocking discovery that it was in a state of total collapse due to vandalism and stolen electrical cables, resulting in raw sewage spilling into the Sabie River.
SABIE – When Local DA councillor Mr Johan Ligthelm recently inspected the town’s sewerage plant, he made the shocking discovery that it was in a state of total collapse due to vandalism and stolen electrical cables, resulting in raw sewage spilling into the Sabie River.
About two weeks ago, the DA contacted cooperative governance (Cogta) MEC Mr Simon Skhosana to urgently intervene in the Sabie sewer crisis.
During the telephone conversation, Skhosana undertook to immediately address the situation. The treatment works must be brought into operation as soon as possible to prevent a potentially massive ecological and humanitarian disaster.
An urgent letter was written to the minister of environmental affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, informing her of the impending ecological disaster, and the Thaba Chweu Municipality’s inability to execute its mandate of providing and maintaining the most basic of services.
Theregional office of the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) responded and said it was aware of the current challenge posed by the breakdown of the waste-water treatment plant in the town.
The department supported the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality and the local business community in the immediate remediation of the situation, and the assurance of the sustainable operation according to accepted standards for water quality of this facility.
The department also utilised the services of the internationally recognized Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for the testing of water quality. As of March 25, daily samples would be taken downstream of the waste-water treatment plant to ascertain its impact on the river.
The department is also assisting the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality in effecting direct communication with users of the Sabie River for drinking water, regarding the water quality and will provide the municipality with prophylactic material to improve the safety of the river’s water for human consumption. This is a precautionary and preventive measure to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases.
Disasters of this nature can have a devastating effect on the economy in this top tourist destination, and could result in job losses. The DA and Sabie’s residents simply cannot allow this crisis to escalate at the hands of the Thaba Chweu Municipality’s failure to act on the most basic of its mandate.
