Raw sewage is becoming a health risk to communities in the Vaal River catchment area who use water for domestic and agricultural purposes on a daily basis, the Democratic Alliance in Mpumalanga said on Thursday.

“The DA has on a number of occasions spoken out over the raw sewage spilling into homes, clinics, water-courses, and eventually into the Vaal River,” said party councillor Pieter van den Berg in a statement.

The areas affected include Eendracht, Lebohang, Kinross and Bethal. The DA plans to write to Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, requesting that the Green Scorpions be dispatched to the area to investigate the problem.

It also wants the minister to determine whether the pollution was an offence and ascertain if the Govan Mbeki municipality had failed to comply with the National Water Act.

The DA claims the municipality failed to address the sewage spills, and did not keep up with the general maintenance of the sewerage network.

Municipality spokesperson ThembaMotlhankana could not immediately be reached for comment.

Source: Sapa