The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in South Africa has
recently opened 36 criminal cases against 26 municipalities in the country in
regard to untreated sewage pollution. According to an article by Daily Maverick,
the severity of the crisis is immense, since South Africa generates more than
seven billion litres of sewage every day, of which over 90% is discharged into
rivers and oceans.
The local
Dawid Kruiper Municipality in Upington does not form part of the 26 Municipalities. Residents says, even though the Dawid Kruiper municipality does not form part of the municipalities, the situation is concerning due to aging infrastructure and poor
service. Residents are calling for immediate action to address the crisis before
the DWS takes further legal action.
A concerned
resident, Anna Jacobs expressed her anger at the situation and faulted the
municipality for not doing more, she continued by saying it has become normalized
to live in these dire conditions and elaborated with the following... INSERT[Anna]
Residents says they feel this is an eye-opener and hopes for change regarding this pressing environmental
and public health issue.
Journalist: Tasha-Ree Kella
Email: tashakella13@gmail.com