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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
7 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
As Constitutional Court turns 30, Ramaphosa vows support for judicial independence
President Cyril Ramaphosa joined dignitaries and judicial leaders at Constitutional Hill to honour the court's legacy of championing rights and shaping democracy, on the 30th anniversary of South Africa's (SA's) Constitutional Court. When former President Nelson Mandela opened the doors of the Constitutional Court for the first time on 14 February 1995, he reminded the founding bench of their duty, saying: 'Yours is the most noble task that could fall to any legal person. In the last resort, the guarantee of the fundamental rights and freedoms for which we have fought so hard lies in your hands. We look to you to honour the Constitution and the people it represents.'' On Friday, 20 June 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa, members of the government, former and current chief justices, and dignitaries from around the world, gathered at Constitutional Hill. To commemorate 30 years since the establishment of the apex court and each landmark judgment which pushed SA closer to turning the Constitution into a living document. Delivering his keynote address, Ramaphosa said that since ConCourt was established, it has handed down judgments that have had a profound impact on the law in SA, including the abolishment of the death penalty in 1995, the 2002 right to health care and access to HIV/Aids treatment, the 2004 right of access to social security by permanent residents, among many others. While Ramaphosa praised the ConCourt for its meaningful work over the last 30 years, remaining unshaken when embroiled in political pressure and controversies, the president acknowledged that 'the advancement of socio-economic rights is not as far as we wish it to be, particularly with respect to housing and basic services'. Referencing the landmark Grootboom judgment, in which Irene Grootboom and her family's right to access adequate housing was affirmed by the ConCourt, Ramaphosa said it was a blight on SA's hard-won democracy that Grootboom died without her dream of a decent house being fulfilled. 'Deepening respect for constitutionalism across all sectors must start with the state. 'We must acknowledge the troubling irony of lauding the Constitutional Court's progressive judgments on one hand, especially on socio-economic rights, with the reality that the state apparatus has in many of these cases had to be compelled by this very court to fulfil its obligations,' said the president. 'Our people should not have to resort to litigation to have their rights realised, and this is the paramount consideration.' More support Ramaphosa said the state had on many occasions failed to support the court adequately and vowed that this would change. To this end, Ramaphosa vowed that the government would increase its support to the judiciary to ensure that it could execute its duties independently, effectively and with dignity. 'Government must and will provide a range of institutional, infrastructure, financial, administrative, and legal support. The support is crucial to maintaining judicial independence, which is a cornerstone of democracy and the rule of law,' he said. The challenges faced by ConCourt are well documented, especially concerning finalising matters against targets. The Constitutional Court Review found that over the years, the court's workload had increased significantly, which has led to longer processing times for judgments. The government is working to solve this. Ramaphosa said that funding for the ConCourt was mentioned for the first time in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's recent Budget speech, with money being allocated to enhance access to justice and improve court services. 'We reaffirm our commitment to providing all the necessary support to our courts as they administer justice. At our meeting with the judiciary recently, we committed to taking steps to advance the independence of the judiciary and the future of our courts' administration,' he said. Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the commemoration, Chief Justice Mandisa Maya, who is leading the commemoration, said Ramaphosa's announcement was a long time coming. 'We are quite happy, naturally, about this development,' said Maya. 'It was understood that the rendering of the judiciary to be fully independent would happen in two stages, the first one starting in 2013. It was anticipated that the finalisation of the process would be put into place soon thereafter, but it has dragged and dragged for well over a decade. It's never too late to do the right thing, here we are now, and moves are afoot,' Chief Justice Maya said. Targeting full judicial independence Maya said that the judiciary is in a hurry to finally obtain full judicial independence, jokingly adding that they would not allow the president and his team to delay the process any further. Standing next to Maya, Ramaphosa said that a joint committee had been appointed to work on the modalities, and everything that needs to be in place to ensure that the judiciary can execute its role without any hindrance. 'Its own independence as an entity has always been secured, it's just been the support that it needs from government that we are now putting in place,' Ramaphosa said. DM
eNCA
17 hours ago
- eNCA
Concourt landmark rulings as it celebrates 30 years
JOHANNESBURG - This year marks 30 years since South Africa's highest court opened its doors not just as a courtroom and as a beacon of hope for justice, equality and Constitutional supremacy. Established after apartheid the Constitutional Court doors were first opened by former President Nelson Mandela in the land in 1995. Its first President was Justice Arthur Chaskalson under then Chief Justice Michael Corbett. Among the first justices on the bench were Richard Goldstone, Pius Langa and Ismail Mohamed. The court Chief Justice, Mandisa Maya. She takes over from Raymond Zondo, as the first woman to hold the position. According to Maya the ConCourt was entrusted with the responsibility to enforce constitutional limitations on the exercise of public power and safeguarding human rights. She was speaking at a celebratory event held in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on Friday. She says the court functions as an independent and impartial institution tasked to ensure compliance and provision of the constitution and serve as the ultimate arbiter of all constitutional matters. 📸| The 30th anniversary of the Constitutional Court. The @ConCourt is the apex court in South Africa and was established following the first democratic election in 1994. #GovZAUpdates — South African Government (@GovernmentZA) June 20, 2025 And over the three decades, it has done just that, handing down landmark rulings that transformed the law, protected rights and deepened constitutional democracy. Here are some of the most influential Constitutional Court rulings that changed South Africa. S v Makwanyane (1995) Issue: The death penalty Outcome: The death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and it should be declared unconstitutional. It was the court's first ruling. National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality v Minister of Home Affairs (1999) Issue - Same-sex marriage Outcome - The impact of discrimination on gays and lesbians is rendered more serious. And their vulnerability increased by the fact that they are a political minority, not able on their own to use political power to secure favourable legislation for themselves. This also led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage- the first in Africa. Government of the RSV v Grootboom (2000) Issue: Right to housing Outcomes: The state must devise and implement within its available resources a comprehensive and coordinated programme progressively to realise the right of access to adequate housing. Minister of Health v Treatment Action Campaign (2002) Issue - Inheritance under the African customary law of intestate succession Outcome - This ruling struck down male-only inheritance promoting gender equality. It found that the rule that male primogeniture wherein the eldest son inherits property was declared inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid, to the extent that it excludes women and extra-marital children from inheriting property. Bhe and Others v The Magistrate, (2004) Outcome - This ruling struck down male-only inheritance promoting gender equality. It found that the rule that male primogeniture wherein the eldest son inherits property was declared inconsistent with the Constitution and invalid, to the extent that it excludes women and extra-marital children from inheriting property.
Eyewitness News
17 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Ramaphosa: The Constitution is a guardian watching over SA's legal health
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the Constitution as a guardian that has been watching over the nation's legal health. Dignitaries gathered at Constitutional Hill on Friday to mark the 30th anniversary of the Constitutional Court. Ramaphosa was the chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, which was tasked with drafting the new Constitution in 1994. On Friday, while delivering the keynote address at the 30th anniversary of the apex court, Ramaphosa recalled the steps that led towards the finalisation of the country's supreme law. "Speaking in my capacity, then, as chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly, I described this, our Constitution, as our new nation's birth certificate, reflecting the history from which we have emerged and the values of human dignity, equality, and freedom that we now cherish." He said that Friday's festivities called for more than just celebration but also reflection. A packed programme has been prepared for Friday's celebration, with dialogues expected to reflect on significant judgments by the Constitutional Court, such as State vs Makwanyane, which led to the abolition of the death penalty.
