The chairperson of the ongoing SAHRC inquiry has exposed Mogale City Municipality’s water supply failures, revealing a crisis that endangers public health and environmental safety in Gauteng.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Day three of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) public inquiry into water challenges in Gauteng saw the Mogale City Municipality, led by the Manager Makhosana Msezana, being grilled on water supply failures in the municipality.
Msezana's scrutiny on Thursday came as a response to a series of distressing reports highlighting significant service delivery challenges, including alarming infrastructure backlogs and devastating sewer spillages. These spillages have contaminated vital water sources, raising serious health concerns for nearby communities.
Recent reports reveal that all three of Mogale City's wastewater treatment works — the Flip Human, the Percy Stewart, and the Magaliesburg — have seen disconcerting declines in efficiency.
Recent reports have revealed that Flip Human is operating at just 30% capacity, down from 64% in 2021; Percy Stewart likewise sits at 30%, down from 68% in the same year; while the Magaliesburg facility languishes at an alarming 27%, down from 49% previously.
On Tuesday, a representative from the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (CoHWHS), Trevor Brough, told the SAHRC inquiry that failures in sanitation management in the Mogale City have left rivers and the wider environment contaminated, placing communities, heritage, and ecosystems at risk.
The SAHRC is holding public hearings on water challenges affecting various communities across Gauteng.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
The inquiry's chairperson, Dr Henk Boshoff, did not mince words in holding Msezana accountable, stating: "I must remind you, MM. We received testimony over sewage spillage from Klipriver wastewater in your municipality. I also have communication from the Department of Water and Sanitation on their enforcement action, with regard to three criminal cases that have been opened against your municipality."
Dr Boshoff urged Msezana to address the issues rather than deflect blame.
In a moment of acknowledgment, Msezana conceded the municipality’s wastewater treatment challenges, asserting: "Chairperson, I think it's important, maybe just to give you context. One, we do acknowledge that there are challenges relating to the wastewater treatment works at Mogale City.
"We've got three wastewater treatment works. We've got Percy Stewart, we've got Magaliesburg, and when it comes to uh Magaliesburg, we've undertaken the necessary refurbishment programme. So, that exercise has already been completed."
In a separate session, the City of Johannesburg, represented by its manager, Dr Floyd Brink, also faced inquiries about water supply challenges affecting residents in areas like Westdene and Sophiatown.
Although Brink acknowledged the magnitude of these issues, he emphasised the city’s commitment to retaining its status as a world-class city and its ongoing engagements with utilities like Rand Water and Joburg Water to mitigate the present challenges.