vaal pollution
Health crisis threatens as Emfuleni water system fails
Emfuleni residents are on the brink of a health crisis as the municipality’s water treatment system fails. It’s been brought about by governance failure, financial constraints and rapid urbanisation
The Mario Milani Drive in Vereeniging could be a wonderfully scenic route. It runs along the banks of the Vaal River — a setting that should make for a perfect weekend escape from the hustle of Johannesburg. But litter lines the road and, even worse, the distinct smell of faeces hangs in the air. In its upper reaches, the 1,200km Vaal River flows into the Vaal Dam, which supplies SA’s economic hub and most populous province, Gauteng, with water. In the so-called Vaal Triangle, which is governed by the municipality of Emfuleni, a toxic cocktail of governance failure; financial constraints arising, in part, from a culture of nonpayment; and rapid urbanisation have left the environment and this crucial water source worse for wear. To put it more bluntly, in the words of a municipal official, the municipality is teetering on the brink of catastrophe if it does not stabilise the situation — the raw sewage flowing into the Vaal — given the health risks involved. The situation is so dire t...
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