The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has called on residents to practice active citizenry by taking an active stand against the pollution of rivers.

The call coincides with its Clear Rivers Campaign which advocates for citizens to clean up rivers and water ecosystems, as part of dedicating their 67 minutes of goodwill during Mandela Month.

Over the years, the Department has fastened its hand to enforcement actions taken against polluters across the country.

Between 2017 to date, more than 50 criminal cases have been opened against transgressors. Of the 50, nine cases have been finalised. In addition to this, 15 court interdict applications are presently underway for pollution related cases.

Some these cases include the Lunathi Mining (Pty) Ltd which is situated near Hendrina in Mpumalanga. The Department received a complaint from a community member about unlawful water uses by the Mine.

The mining pit was full of water and overflowing downstream; this had a negative impact on the quality of water and also led to the drowning of livestock grazing around the area.

The Department responded by conducting an investigation and issued a notice in terms of Section 19(3) and 53(1) of the National Water Act which advocates for the prevention, remedying effects of pollution and the rectification of contraventions.

The Mine was urged to stop unlawful water use and pollution, and told to rehabilitate the affected areas. Following the directive, the Mine appointed an Environmental Consultant and commenced with the implementation of a rehabilitation plan for the affected areas.

Follow-up investigations were conducted in May 2020 and it was found that there were no water uses and mining activities taking place in Lunathi Mine. To ensure that the mine follows the set directives, the Department continues to monitor activities of the Lunathi Mine to enforce compliance.

Another case that the Department has intervened on was in the Sishen Mine in the Northern Cape where the Mine was found to be contravening some conditions of a water-use licence which included exceeding the authorised volume of water taken from boreholes, failing to comply with wastewater quality limits and poor storm water management.

The Mine’s conduct was deemed unlawful as failure to comply with wastewater limits result into pollution of both surface and groundwater resources which may impact downstream users and aquatic life relying on the resource.

A Directive was issued to the Mine to rectify the contraventions. An action plan for rectification was submitted to the Department and implemented accordingly. On-going follow-up inspections are presently being carried out.

The Department has reiterated its commitment to safeguard the country’s water sources as part of its core mandate and strives to ensure that those who are found to be contravening the law are held accountable for their actions.