DA lays criminal charges against Thaba Chweu municipality

DA lays criminal charges against Thaba Chweu municipality

By BRIAN KAJENGO 

The DA this past week laid criminal charges against the Thaba Chweu municipality for its refusal to attend raw sewage leaks into watercourses and for its failure to correctly dispose of waste at the Lydenburg landfill site.

The charges were laid in accordance with Sections 26 and 67 of the National Environmental Management Act: Waste (Lydenburg SAPS case number 109/3/2014) and Section 151 (i) and (j) of the National Water Act (Lydenburg SAPS case number 121/3/2014).

“This is not the first time that charges laid against this municipality for wilfully or negligently polluting water courses or disposing of waste in a manner that could pose a health risk, but Thaba Chweu is rapidly becoming a threat to the greater Ehlanzeni district and beyond.” Bernadie said.

“Raw sewage from unattended leaks in Sabie, Lydenburg, Graskop and Pilgrim’s Rest are polluting rivers and streams as far as Limpopo and the Kruger National Park, while burning landfill sites are causing potential health risks to tourists and residents along the popular Panorama tourist route,” Said Bernardie.  

Given that the next few weeks will see thousands of holidaymakers and tourists flock to the area, Thaba Chweu, the Ehlanzeni district municipality and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs have a responsibility to ensure that people unnecessarily exposed to any health risk.

It is clear that the task team dispatched to Thaba Chweu in October last year has been unable to provide the necessary technical and administrative support to normalise service delivery.

Cooperative governance MEC SPD Skhosana has no choice but to admit that his department’s interventions so far have failed, and that the only avenue left is to dissolve council under the auspices of Section 139 (1)(c) of the Constitution and declare fresh elections in Thaba Chweu.