AfriForum tests Musina’s water for possible contamination

Soundbite: Marais de Vaal

AfriForum has taken five water samples from strategic points in and around Musina following reports of severe pollution and visible discolouration of the Limpopo River. The samples have been submitted for urgent laboratory analysis to determine whether the water – particularly the town’s municipal drinking water – poses a health risk to local communities.

“This incident is yet another symptom of the broader environmental crisis in South Africa,” says Marais de Vaal, Environmental Affairs Advisor at AfriForum. “Although the cause of the blue-green colour of the river is still unknown, the possibility of pollution should not even exist if the governance measures that are supposed to be in place were properly enforced. It is a shame that residents have to first raise the alarm about possible pollution before authorities respond, instead of taking the necessary steps to prevent it in the first place.”

AfriForum will release the test results as soon as they are available and will consider further action based on its findings.