AfriForum has welcomed the R160m fine imposed on the Dipaliseng local municipality in Mpumalanga on Friday due to years of water pollution in Balfour and surrounding areas.
However, the organisation insisted municipal officials should be held personally accountable for their negligence.
“AfriForum maintains that the water crisis that is now being experienced at a national level even justifies the imprisonment of the officials involved.”
The Balfour magistrate’s court fined the municipality for contravening the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act.
During December 2018 until August 2023 the municipality caused significant pollution to the environment by dumping untreated sewage into a number of areas, including Suikerbosrand River and Gasteplaas Dam, the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement on Monday. Balfour and Greylingstad are the largest towns in this local municipality.
The NPA said several complaints had been received from the community about water pollution killing their livestock.
Lambert de Klerk, head of environmental affairs at AfriForum, said handling water pollution with the necessary seriousness was crucial, given South Africa’s water scarcity and the need to jealously guard the precious resource.
He said the heavy sentence that the court imposed on Dipaleseng represented a significant victory.
“However, in this case it amounts to double punishment for the taxpayers and residents of the municipality concerned.
“First residents were burdened with unsafe water, and now the very residents are going to pay the fine indirectly,” De Klerk said.
He said the prosecution of officials who were responsible for the pollution must be a priority.
“This will hold officials accountable and guarantee the pursuit of excellence in the interest of residents,” De Klerk said.
TimesLIVE
Ernest Mabuza
www.timeslive.co.za
