Sewage pollution in the Northern Cape is killing the province’s lifeline – the Orange River

A Northern Cape NGO has filed criminal complaints against the municipal managers of 11 towns in eight municipalities over “rampant” sewage pollution that threatens agricultural exports, the quality of drinking water in the province and the health and livelihoods of the towns’ residents.

“The only lifeline of the entire province is the Orange River and it’s being contaminated with sewage,” said Fritz Bekker, one of the founders of Gariep Watch, which has opened a criminal case against the municipal managers of Vanderkloof, Hopetown, Upington, Kakamas and Vredesvallei on the Orange River; and Bloemhof, Christiana, Warrenton, Vaalharts, Jan Kempdorp and Barkly West on the Vaal River.

“The reason we’re following this process … is we found that if we litigate, it’s going to be the taxpayer that’s going to pay again for the government not doing its job.” 

Environmental monitoring by Gariep Watch has been underway since 2017. It manages the only chemical, bacteriological and biological water quality database on the lower Vaal and lower Orange River.