The Department of Water and Sanitation welcomes the court order and interdict issued against Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality by the High Court of South Africa, North West Division in Mahikeng late this past week.

Judge Tebogo Djadje ordered the Municipality to take all necessary steps to ensure that raw sewage is not discharged into the ponds within Rosendal Farm in Vryburg, thereby causing the deaths of livestock.

Furthermore, she ordered the Municipality to immediately cease its usage of raw sewer pipe to divert the flow of raw sewer from Huhudi Township into Farm Rosendal 673.

In addition, the Municipality was compelled and ordered to urgently take remedial steps to stop the pollution by immediately fixing the overflowing manholes in Huhudi Township.

The Municipality is also required to remedy the effects of pollution caused and rehabilitate the affected areas.

This week’s court outcome is a result of protracted efforts by the Department for the Municipality to take responsibility for the pollution experienced in the area of their jurisdiction dating back to 2015.

The Department, through its Enforcement Unit conducted investigations at the Vryburg Waste Water Treatment Works in 2015, followed up with inspections in 2017 and 2018.  The Municipality did not respond with any action plans as required.

Then Minister Gugile Nkwinti also visited the area and held meetings with the MEC responsible for COGTA and Executive Mayor but that exercise also became futile as the situation remained unresolved.

The Department as a regulator of the sector is satisfied with all the measures taken to date to make the Municipality to account and hopes the order and interdict will be a turning point and put a stop to pollution.

Spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau says the Department will work with the municipality towards the resolution of the matter and assist it where necessary.

“This judgement should send a strong message to all to all the polluters that the Department will not tolerate any form of pollution of water resources. The DWS will take all the necessary steps to put a stop to this neglect as empowered by the National Water Act. Our interventions are not punitive in nature but when polluters are not responsive, we will seek recourse in our courts,” says Ratau.