Rare sewage still flows into Vaal three years after R70 million fine

Residents of Standerton and surrounding communities in Mpumalanga face mounting health risks as untreated sewage continues to pour into the Vaal River – three years after the Lekwa local municipality was found guilty of environmental violations and fined R70 million.

Despite the Standerton Regional Court’s order to halt pollution and repair failing infrastructure, raw effluent still flows unabated, raising urgent questions about compliance, accountability, and the protection of public health and biodiversity.

Residents face health risks as municipality defies court order

Community representative and Independent Lekwa Party leader Corné Stoltz said: “The community expresses concern and frustration regarding the ongoing environmental and public health crisis in the municipality.”

The court found the municipality guilty on multiple counts, including the unlawful discharge of raw sewage, failure to comply with environmental directives and continued pollution of a critical water resource.

“The continued discharge of untreated sewage not only violates environmental legislation, but also poses a direct threat to public health, biodiversity and downstream water users, including communities relying on the Vaal River System,” Stoltz said.

Despite repeated reports and community engagement over the past two years, there has been no sustainable intervention or transparent progress update from the municipality indicating a permanent resolution to the sewage infrastructure failures, he said.

Stoltz called on the relevant authorities, including the department of water and sanitation, environmental regulators, and oversight bodies, to urgently:

• Enforce compliance with the existing court order;
• Investigate continued non-compliance by the municipality;
• Ensure immediate repair and upgrading of wastewater infrastructure; and
• Hold responsible officials accountable for ongoing negligence.

R70 million fine

He said the community also demands full transparency on how the R70 million fine was applied, including proof of expenditure on repairs as ordered by the court.

“The continued pollution of the Vaal River is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to persist without decisive action,” he said.

“Immediate intervention is required to protect the environment, restore public confidence and safeguard water security.”

A resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, believes the municipality did not take corrective measures.

“The government does not care about our safety. When the matter was taken to court, we were sure that it would be addressed for good. But nothing has been done,” said the resident.

Environmentalists warn butterflies, fish, livestock and wetlands at risk

Environmentalist Benjamin Magongo said the situation was dangerous because the municipality was positioned on the eastern side of many biodiversity conservation landscapes in the upper catchment of the water flowing downstream, passing various river streams and dams that deposit water into the Vaal River.

“About 10 indigenous species, grazing fields and natural resources such as wetlands will be affected by the disaster of sewage spilling into the Vaal River,” said Magongo.

“This is also going to affect butterflies, ducks, frogs, fish, livestock, birds, locusts and other different animals. The spillage will affect farmers and also cause waterborne disease in the nearby communities.”

He said environmental protection plays a vital role in the ecosystem balance between humans and nature.

Municipal spokesperson Lubabalo Majenge had not responded to questions by the time of publication.