Speaking during a high-profile visit to Clarens on Sunday (25/5), Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, alongside her deputies, Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha Mathae and local officials, emphasised the government’s zero-tolerance approach to environmental degradation.

The visit was organised to showcase the completed Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), which resumed operations after a seven-month maintenance closure. Majodina revealed her department has given the suspended contractor until Monday to address the contamination issue or face removal from the site.

“It is Africa Day, and as part of celebrating the day, we must celebrate by bringing water to this tunnel today. Good work has been done to bring our water back while we continue working on the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands project. But there is a contractor that is on suspension,” said Majodina.

“The contractor has messed up at the site. The contractor should have known that he could not pollute the site. They have polluted water from the site they are working at, down to the river, in the streams, and that is not acceptable.”

Majodina added that the pollution incident has caused severe disruptions. Some 1,300 workers were sent home due to the suspension of all operations.

Her deputy, Sello Seitlholo, announced plans to visit the Mafube Municipality next Monday to address the pollution of the Vaal River. He confirmed the case has been referred to the Green Scorpions.

Inspections revealed that the wastewater treatment plants of the Kopano Ke Matla Joint Venture, responsible for building a 38-km tunnel connecting two dams in the Lesotho Highlands, were non-compliant, and operations had to be suspended. Photo: Lesotho Highlands Water Authority

“What I need to do fundamentally is to meet with the mayor, meet with Gauteng’s Department of Water and Sanitation, as well as the Free State because that catchment in Mafube falls under Gauteng, to really get a detailed understanding of to what extent Mafube infrastructure is contributing to the pollution of the Vaal River,” said Seitlholo.

He stressed the urgency of involving the private sector to address infrastructure challenges, noting that 90% of Mafube residents are unemployed and unable to pay for services.

“Section 19 of the Water Act mandates us to take enforcement action against municipalities or anyone polluting the river or water resources. The majority of waste polluters of water resources are dysfunctional wastewater infrastructure belonging to municipalities,” Seitlholo added.

Seitlholo highlighted the broader implications of water pollution, referencing a tragic incident involving three Free State police officers found in Hennops River stream in Gauteng.

“The extent of pollution in streams across the country is so severe that a chopper was needed to blow away foam from the river due to pollution,” he said.

Seitlholo promised departmental support to rural municipalities to improve their capacity to manage water infrastructure.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi cg