PHALABORWA – Bosveld Phosphates Pty Ltd has been fined R2,55 million for polluting the Olifants River during the summer of 2013 and early 2014.
South African National Parks (SANParks) welcomed the sentencing by the magistrate,
Mr Doctor Nkuna in the Phalaborwa Regional Court on Thursday July 30.
Bosveld has to pay R1,5 million in cash within 14 days, and on top of that it will have a suspended sentence of R1,1 million for another three years. The water spillage in the Ga-Selati River caused significant pollution to the Olifant River going through the Kruger National Park (KNP).
Bosveld Phosphates Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to contravening sections of both the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act through its unlawful discharge of hazardous waste water.
The incident was detected by KNP staff after a tip-off by a local fisherman on December 30, 2013. The Olifants River enters KNP near Phalaborwa Gate.
The sentence comes at a time when increasing climatic variability, is expected to result in more frequent incidences of uncontrolled surface and sub-surface pollution events into water courses from industrial activities such as these.
A researcher at Scientific Services’ Savanna & Arid general manager,
Dr Stefanie Freitag-Ronaldson said, “While SANParks welcomes the judgement by Nkuna, changing climatic conditions are an ongoing cause for concern around environmental pollution events and their effects on national water security and biodiversity.
“Much of the real cost of remediation of such pollution events is externalised and carried by the environment.
“This judgement sends a strong message that compliance to South Africa’s environmental and water-management legislation is non-negotiable and management strategies must be put in place by the investors to deal with the changing climate.”
According to the manager of water resources at SANParks, Dr Eddie Riddell, they have committed themselves to ongoing and long-term monitoring and evaluation of pollution events into KNP’s rivers, which are the lifeblood of this iconic national heritage and international treasure. “They have undertaken the testing of all the rivers going through KNP, and at the latest results will be available in November,” he added.
The Olifants is South Africa’s third hardest-working river. In 2015 scientists of the CSIR found 328 parts aluminium pollution per million parts of water in the Olifants River near Middelburg and eMalahleni.
The World Health Organisation only allows eight parts per million parts of water.
