The Middelburg Country Club is facing an ecological disaster.
A mine spillage from a broken slurry wall at Izimbiwa Coal has led to a black tar-like sludge flowing downstream into the Merriespruit ponds at the club, polluting and destroying much of the beautiful scenery on the golf course.
An emergency meeting was held on Wednesday between Izimbiwa and the country club, where the club rejected the action plan laid out by Izimbiwa “as it was outdated”.
The club demanded a more relevant updated plan, a plan Izimbiwa has failed to provide thus far.
Tee one’s famous green fairway is now soaked with black sludge, with the cost to repair all damages potentially in the excess of tens of thousands of rands.
As Izimbiwa irons out the details of their new action plan, countless dead fish are being picked up by the club’s staff.
Fish are not the only wildlife that has been affected, as the mine waste has contaminated the water, and oozing black sludge has formed on top of the water, causing the variety of bird species that reside at the club to be drenched in the tar-like substance.
The severity of the situation is evidenced by the aerial photographs sent to the Middelburg Observer.
The mine was asked for comment but did not respond.
