The case of the municipality was postponed to Tuesday, 1 September, after the municipal manager appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court on Monday (4/5). The municipality has been accused of contaminating one of Gauteng’s water sources.

The case was opened by the FF Plus back in 2020. It marks a significant moment in a long-running environmental and human rights crisis affecting communities in Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaaloewer, Vanderbijlpark, and Vereeniging.

Simultaneously, a criminal complaint was filed against the then-administrator at the Vanderbijlpark police station. Due to persistent negligence and poor maintenance, the sewage system failed as early as 2018.

“The FF Plus wants to make it clear, numbers do not lie,” said FF Plus Cllr. Gerda Senekal. “Ten years ago, the municipality’s three wastewater treatment plants received far more sewage than they do today, despite a much smaller population.

“Today, there is a sharp decline in inflow. Sebokeng dropped from about 250 to 134 mega litres per day, Rietspruit from 36 to 27, and Leeuwspruit from 48 to just 13 mega litres per day.”

That missing sewage is not disappearing. It's entering the environment and ultimately the Vaal River. The truth is simple: the system is failing, and the numbers prove it, she said.

Emfuleni spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni rejected allegations that raw sewage has been continuously spilling into the Vaal River system since 2018 and that pollution has gone unchecked.

He described these claims raised by AfriForum and the Freedom Front Plus as misleading and damaging to public trust, warning that they create a false impression about the municipality’s environmental management.

“Contrary to what has been purported, between 2018 and 2026, the municipality has undertaken several key projects and interventions to contain sewer spillages and resultant pollution into the Vaal River,” said Sangweni.

Sangweni rejected allegations that raw sewage has been continuously spilling into the Vaal River. Photo supplied

“It is in this perspective that the municipality views claims suggesting that it is turning a blind eye to pollution as baseless and appears designed to create unnecessary panic and undermine the good work being done.”

The municipality says it remains committed to accountable wastewater and environmental management, and will continue working with authorities to protect both the environment and residents’ health, he said.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame sm

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