The community of Bloemhof has opened a criminal case against the former municipal manager Andrew Makuapane.

Bloemhof recently experienced a spate of violent protests linked to service delivery and recent water contamination in the area, which claimed the lives of three infants. The contamination is believed to have been caused by sewerage spilled into the Vaal River which supplies water in the area, immediately sparking diarrhoea in the area. North West, Premier Supra Mahumapelo has since announced the allocation of more than R20 million to address the water problems.

Following the spillage, Makuapan was suspended pending the outcome of a forensic investigation. He resigned a few days later. According to civil rights organisation AfriForum, which took various water samples in and around the Bloemhof area on 30 May, the community opened a criminal case against the municipal manager after the water tests indicated that the pollution of water sources could be ascribed to negligence.

“The results showed that the catastrophe in Bloemhof may not be over yet. Negligence is still causing pollution of the Vaal River and influences all residents living downstream,” said Carmea Huysamen, Provincial Coordinator for AfriForum in the North-West.  “Pollution is a criminal offence and perpetrators must be prosecuted in terms of the law.”

According to AfriForum, results of water tests, conducted by an independent laboratory, show inter alia that water coming from the Vaal, which is delivered as potable water to the community in Bloemhof, contain life-threatening counts of faecal coliform units per 100 ml water.

“The water at the outflow of the Bloemhof sewage plant contains more than 1 000 000 units E. coli per 100ml water. The water flows into the Vaal River. Raw sewage is also flowing from manholes in the informal settlement which is life threatening to humans and animals,” said Julius Kleynhans, Head of Environmental Affairs at AfriForum.  “If the water is not purified properly to comply with national standards, it is quite possible that another disaster may hit the area.”

Earlier this month the Centre for Environmental Rights wrote to the Northwest Police Commissioner and the Northwest Director of Public Prosecutions, calling for an investigation into the criminal liability of all parties involved in the deaths of the three infants in Bloemhof.