As the world marks International Environment Day, the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform has hauled three provincial municipalities to court for environmental violations.
Kimberley’s Sol Plaatje municipality will soon be hit with a fine and possible litigation for their failure to deal with a broken sewerage treatment pump that has forced the municipality to divert effluent to the private property of the Khoisan community of Platfontein.
The effluent has created a sewage dam that flows for almost two kilometres from Galeshewe Township to the farm.
Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs provincial spokesperson Zandisile Luphahla says, “I can tell you now that we have three cases with three different municipalities in the province which is before the courts, which have been handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).”
“I am sure by the end of this month [June] they will be ready to prosecute. I don’t know how far are they. But this is something that we take serious because we cannot really allow our people to live in such environments. Every time after we have investigated and after the municipality is not adhering to the notice and fine we take the matter to the NPA,” explains Luphahla.
In the video below, World Environment Day 2021 is celebrated under the theme “Ecosystem Restoration”:
