Issued by Janho Engelbrecht – DA Gauteng Member of Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development and Environmental Affairs Committee
08 Oct 2020 in Press Statements
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply concerned that the Tshwane administrators are doing nothing about the raw sewage that is spilling into the Pienaarsrivier that flows into the Roodeplaat dam.
There is a thick layer of raw sewage on the riverbank and there is no longer any fish or bird life.
See video here
The DA has been inundated with complaints about the raw sewage which comes from the Bavianspoort Waste Water Treatment Facility.
The smell is unbearable, and the raw sewage has a negative impact on the wildlife in Roodeplaat.
The sewage pollution will inevitably lead to algae bloom which will in turn give rise to a massive increase in water hyacinth growth. This is already a huge problem and the government has spent millions in an effort to curb the growth of these invasive water plants.
Preserving our wildlife is of utmost importance for the preservation of our ecosystem. If the wildlife disappears from its natural habitat, the balance of the ecosystem will be disturbed with dire consequences.
It is clear that the Tshwane administrators have no clue as to how to address the problems at the Waste Water Treatment Plant which is responsible for the massive raw sewage spill.
The DA is calling on the MEC for Environmental Affairs, Morakane Mosupyoe to liaise with the Tshwane administrators as a matter of urgency to intervene in this situation.
