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Daily Maverick
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Final warning for water polluters – we will act, we will prosecute and we will expose you
As Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, I carry the delegated responsibility to address the impact of water pollution and protect the integrity of our country's water resources. Few challenges illustrate this duty more starkly than the state of the Vaal River today. It bears the scars of years of municipal mismanagement and wastewater system failure. Raw sewage, discharges from malfunctioning wastewater treatment works and decaying infrastructure have turned parts of this iconic river into a national warning sign and disaster. It is a crisis we can no longer ignore, and it is far from isolated. As such, the Vaal River Anti-Pollution Forum, which we have since established, now brings together municipalities, industries and civil society to coordinate emergency interventions and enforce accountability. But this work cannot succeed unless these municipalities themselves step up fully, consistently and with urgency. Serious decline The 2023 Green Drop Watch Report reinforces what communities have long known: that our wastewater infrastructure is in serious decline. Of the 850 treatment systems audited nationally, 334 were flagged as being in a critical state, with performance scores below 31%. These are not remote systems in distant municipalities. Many serve urban centres and densely populated towns. In provinces like Limpopo (78%), Free State (67%), and Northern Cape (76%), more than two-thirds of wastewater systems are critically dysfunctional. These failures are not just engineering issues, they represent a profound threat to public health, environmental integrity and constitutional rights. The root causes are not a mystery. The report points to underfunding, lack of skilled staff, inadequate planning, infrastructure vandalism and in some cases, municipal inaction or non-cooperation. Municipalities were required to submit Corrective Action Plans within 60 days of the 2022 Green Drop Report, yet only 50% complied. Of those, just 10% had begun implementation by the time of the 2023 audit. This is a crisis of both capacity and governance. While the national government is fulfilling its mandate through enforcement, funding and support, the Constitution is clear that the day-to-day operation and maintenance of wastewater systems is the responsibility of local government. This is not about apportioning blame; it is about clarifying responsibility. Action and accountability As a department, we are taking action. We have initiated 172 enforcement interventions, placed 307 systems under active monitoring, and begun holding municipal officials and institutions accountable through legal channels. The R160-million fine imposed on Dipaleseng Local Municipality in November 2024 for persistent sewage discharges into rivers and communities is a landmark case and a clear indication that failure will no longer be tolerated. And let me be absolutely clear. Those who knowingly pollute our water systems, whether in public office or private industry, will be pursued. If you are dumping waste into rivers, ignoring infrastructure failure or failing to comply with directives, your days of hiding behind red tape and apathy are numbered. There will be prosecutions. There will be financial penalties. And there will be public accountability. But enforcement alone is not the solution. We are also building support structures. The Green Drop Support Plan, developed in collaboration with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the South African Local Government Association and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, is helping municipalities implement improvements. Maintenance programmes are creating jobs and technical capacity. And performance incentives are being tied directly to Green Drop outcomes. Attitude change Still, none of this will be enough without a change in mindset. Infrastructure maintenance is not an optional extra, it is the foundation of service delivery, and you cannot build new systems on a collapsing base. You cannot promise dignity while sewage flows through the streets and homes of residents, and you cannot lead without taking responsibility for what you have been entrusted to manage. The real test of municipal leadership today is not how much new infrastructure is built, it is how well the existing systems are operated, maintained, and protected. The Green Drop Report is more than just an audit. It is a barometer of whether local governance is working, and it tells us where risks are accumulating, where communities are being let down, and where leadership is absent. There are examples of what success can look like. In Laingsburg and Matjiesfontein in the Western Cape, a failing conservancy system was replaced with a modern membrane bio-reactor treatment plant. The facility now not only complies with regulations, but it also recycles water, supports housing development and creates local employment. Local leadership That success was made possible through intergovernmental collaboration. But it was driven by local leadership that understood its responsibility and rose to the occasion. South Africa stands at a crossroads. We have the policy frameworks, the regulatory systems and the investment channels. What we need now is a shift from crisis response to systemic maintenance. That means every mayor, every municipal manager and every councillor must treat wastewater infrastructure as a matter of strategic priority and moral obligation. To communities, you are not powerless. Report pollution and refrain from polluting. Demand performance and hold your councils accountable. Water is not just a resource; it is your right. When rivers run black with sewage, it is not only nature that is violated. It is your dignity, your health and your children's future put at risk. To polluters, whether through action or neglect, this is your final warning. We will act, we will prosecute and we will expose you. The time of excuses is over. The era of accountability has begun. To lead today is to maintain, and this is precisely how municipalities will be judged, not by what they promise, but by what they preserve. If we fail to protect our water systems, the cost will not only be ecological or economic, but it will also be deeply human. DM
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Despite Paul Mashatile's ‘clean-up', Kliptown remains a symbol of service delivery failure
Widely celebrated for being the site of the conception of the Freedom Charter, Kliptown in Soweto is a symbol of absolute disregard. A recent visit by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero offered little recognition of the residents' daily hardships. Kliptown, Soweto, a cornerstone in the creation of the Freedom Charter, now finds itself in stark contradiction to the very principles it helped establish. While the charter champions equality and dignity, the community's neglected living conditions tell a story of persistent disregard and unfulfilled promises. Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero came face to face with the struggles of Kliptown's Freedom Square informal settlement during the launch of a clean-up campaign last week. A group of community members watched scornfully from their shacks as Mashatile toured the Kliptown Youth Programme facility, which has improved and continues to improve the lives of residents through various self-funded initiatives like education and meals. In a community devastated by poverty, unemployment and lawlessness, the Kliptown Youth Programme is a beacon of hope. There are few other signs of service delivery or development in the area. Walter Sisulu Square In May 2024, Daily Maverick reported on the persistent vandalism at the Walter Sisulu Memorial Square, a gradually declining tourist attraction that honours the signing of the 1955 Freedom Charter. 'The Walter Sisulu square isn't just falling victim to crime,' a community member who asked to remain anonymous told Daily Maverick last week. 'It's also being damaged by frustrated community members. Since its inception, many locals have felt that the township, despite its modest size, should have been prioritised for development over a multimillion-rand investment in the square. This lingering sentiment has fuelled a cycle of neglect and vandalism,' she said. Referring to Mashatile, Lesufi and Morero's visit, she said: 'We cannot betray our consciences and be part of that gathering. We are not hypocrites… We have no business there.' The Walter Sisulu Memorial Square was opened by then president Thabo Mbeki in 2005 at a cost of R160-million. Its precinct also included the Soweto Hotel, which is no longer operational due to the area's decline. Responding to Daily Maverick in February 2025 on whether the City of Johannesburg had plans to renovate the Walter Sisulu Memorial Square, spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said: 'Yes, in Kliptown the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication, the historic site of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, will be renovated and restored by the Joburg Property Company.' When Daily Maverick visited last week, there was no sign that the renovations had begun. At the time of writing, the City had not sent responses to Daily Maverick's recent questions on Walter Sisulu Square and the poor state of Kliptown. It's not the only symbol of Kliptown's heritage of shame. Charlotte Maxeke House, the home of the 'mother of black freedom in South Africa', is also in ruins. A visit by Mashatile last week to the dilapidated house left little hope that it will be renovated. Near the house stood a faded promise, quite literally. A billboard proudly proclaimed 'Charlotte Maxeke House to be renovated', yet time has had its way with both the building and the sign. As time passes without progress, the peeling paint on the hoarding becomes a visual metaphor for broken promises. Lack of water and power 'We are often without water, and it's not safe because when shacks burn, which is often, especially now in winter, we use water to extinguish the fires. We have not received water tanks in a very long time. We often go to bed without any water. Imagine if a shack burns at night, we'd be helpless,' said Thandi Vilakai, 51, a resident of Kliptown's Freedom Square informal settlement. Vilakazi, who has been living in the area for more than a decade, told Daily Maverick that the water and electricity struggles in the area were so dire that they often had to go as far as Dlamini to get water. 'We have to duck traffic and go across the road in search of what should be a basic provision,' she said. 'As for electricity, we have never been connected to the grid. We are wholly dependent on paraffin stoves.' An elderly lady told Mashatile and Morero about the area's electricity woes. Mashatile asked about the large cables that were hanging low overhead and if they provided electricity. He was told they were illegal electricity connections. Kliptown's electricity woes are well documented. Freedom Square has never had an electricity connection. In 2017, Daily Maverick reported on the community's electricity problems and how other community members had turned their misery into a business. The area also lacks basic sanitary provisions such as toilets. Unemployment and unfinished projects Crime in the area is also very high, something residents have attributed to the high unemployment rate. They complain that there is also a high school dropout rate among the youth. 'Here, when we say we are working, we'd be talking about small opportunities created by non-profit organisations. That's the only work available for our residents,' community leader Thabang Nkwanyana said. Struggling to find employment, Nkwanyana and some friends established a brick-making business. They now make bricks from clear plastic bottles, which Nkwanyana said had helped put food on the table for their families. According to residents, projects that had been undertaken in the area have stalled, but residents have no idea why. One such project was the rehabilitation of Union Road, which should be the biggest street in Freedom Square. The road rehabilitation was earmarked to last six months, but nearly a year later, there are still trenches everywhere. 'This project was announced by former mayor Kabelo Gwamanda during his reign. The project is now running in its 10th or 11th month,' Nkwanyana said. The City also started a process of 'reblocking' in the informal settlement. It refers to rearranging shacks that are closely huddled together to add driveways and improve access. In many informal settlements, reblocking provides a psychological boost, reinforcing the idea that progress is taking hold. According to residents, the reblocking of their shacks in Freedom Square has also stalled. 'We do not know why they stopped,' resident Bheki Hadebe said. DM
