Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Water shock: Kamfers Dam poses health risk to humans and animals

ByAfriForum 30/08/202330/08/2023

Water tests conducted by AfriForum last week at Kamfers Dam outside Kimberley show that water in this dam poses a worrying health risk for humans and animals. Meanwhile, AfriForum has also informed the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality of the test results and emphasised that the organisation will take legal steps if the problem is not tackled urgently.

Kamfers Dam is home to at least 60 different species of water birds and an important breeding site for the vulnerable Greater and Lesser Flamingo.

The tests form part of AfriForum’s Blue and Green Drop water tests which are undertaken on a national level during August. Findings from these tests will be released later this year. Meanwhile, the Kamfers Dam sample was tested at the private accredited laboratory PathCare.

According to Werner Strauss, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Northern Cape, a terrible stench hangs in the air at Kamfers Dam. It was this smell and the suspicion that the dam might be contaminated with raw sewage, which forced him to take a water sample there for testing.

“PathCare’s test results confirmed my suspicions. Extremely high levels of coliform bacteria have been reported in the water, and it is as if a million people’s sewage is flowing straight into the dam,” says Strauss.

“It is especially tragic because sewage flows freely into a breeding place of and water source for flamingos, ducks, geese and various other birds and animal species in and around the dam. Cattle and sheep also graze next to this dam and drink from the contaminated water.”