Committee concerned over unmet deadline, lack of proper functioning at Rooiwal treatment plant
The inspection focused on prioritising the wellbeing of the employees of Tshwane metro employed at the plant and other facilities.
Tshwane’s collaborative oversight visit to the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant has sparked concerns over unmet contractor obligations.
In the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works at the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, the SIU identified 65 role players for high-level profiling (officials, private individuals and entities)
• So far 9 officials were red-flagged for further lifestyle analysis due to… pic.twitter.com/BqHjjUOGtt— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) May 13, 2025
The inspection-in-loco conducted on May 13 was a joint effort between chairpersons and committee members from different departments, including Integrated Development Planning, Environmental Management, Health and Group Financial Services.
During the inspection, Chairperson for Environment and Agriculture Management, Cllr Hluphi Gafane, noted some of the challenges the plant was met with.
“The air and underground water quality are severely affected by the lack of proper functioning of the infrastructure at the plant,” she said.
Gafane said this was not only affecting the farmers in the area, but also the communities near the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant.
MMC for Community and Social Development Peggy De Bruin emphasised the health and safety of workers.
“We are deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the city’s employees who are potentially exposed to hazardous gases, which are by-products from the wastewater treatment process,” she said.
According to the committee members, one of the concerns was the lack of delivery on the contractual obligations by the appointed contractors to deliver on the scope of work as outlined in the awarded tenders, which deeply affects all stakeholders.
Section 79 Chairperson for Integrated Development Planning, Debyre Williams-Moses relayed the need for appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE) for the employees.
“It is of paramount importance to ensure that the employees of Tshwane are well equipped and provided with the appropriate PPE as a non-negotiable,” she said.
William-Moses added that the employees’ health and safety must remain a priority of the city while at these facilities.
She said this includes regular medical check-ups to ensure they perform their duties without any threat to their well-being.
“No employee of Tshwane should be exposed to hazardous gasses or any other life-threatening conditions while employed by the city.”
She said that the direct implication of this exposure was high levels of absenteeism.
“Most concerning are the medical check-up annual cycles for the employees based at the various wastewater treatment plants,” said Williams-Moses.
She proposed a sustainable solution to address the areas of concern and said she intended to escalate these matters through different committees.
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