AfriForum files criminal charges after years of sewage dumping

The AfriForum branch in Vryheid laid criminal charges against Sbonga Dlamini, Manager of the Abaqulusi Local Municipality, and the municipality’s technical manager on Friday 30 May. This follows after sewage has been flowing freely in the Besterspruit for several years and the Municipality has not responded to AfriForum’s requests to address this. These charges were lodged at the local police station in Vryheid.

Moreover, sewage flows freely in one of the streets in the settlements, while small children are playing in the streets. This poses serious health risks to the community.

“We have sent several letters to the Municipality and placed newspaper articles about the sewage spill, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Besterspruit flows a few metres further into the Klipfontein Dam, which is our main water source,” says André van der Walt, AfriForum’s Chairperson of the Vryheid branch.

“We cannot stand by and watch as South Africa’s water resources are polluted. We see daily how municipal infrastructure is neglected and AfriForum believes the solution lies in self-governance,” says Eugene van Aswegen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal.

Visit www.wordlid.co.za to become part of your nearest AfriForum branch and thus make a real difference in your community.