Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
| by Reinette Liebenberg, MPL – DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson on Agriculture, Land Reform, Rural Development, Environment and Nature Conservation |
| Date: 10 June 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Reinette Liebenberg, MPL. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape (NC) is calling on the Green Scorpions to investigate the unhygienic circumstances of Sol Plaatje residents who have to live with the hazardous effects of sewerage overflows on a daily basis.This comes after communities in Galeshewe, Barkley Road and Platfontein have had to endure the stench of raw sewerage running right in front of their doorsteps for months on end. Worst of all is that children are playing with this filthy water and animals feed from it.Apart from creating a huge hotspot for other animal and human diseases, the health of residents and animals is placed in great danger. This, as research from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has indicated that the coronavirus can be transmitted in human faeces.We can ill afford to invite the further spread of coronavirus into our communities. Instead, local government needs to do everything in their power to flatten the curve, not help it along.To add injury to insult, residents from the Platfontein area, who solely depend on farming for survival, also have to witness the growing dam of raw sewerage affecting the biodiversity of the farms in the area. This, as a result of Gogga Pump station overflowing with raw sewerage that is spilling into the farming land.It is no secret that all sewerage stations within the Sol Plaatje municipality are not in optimal working condition and that the infrastructure, which despite having seen a facelift of over R300 million in maintenance upgrades, has gone to waste.It is not fair for residents to be placed in such great danger while coronavirus cases continue to grow in our province and our country.The DA has submitted a request for an investigation to the Green Scorpions. We hope they succeed in placing greater pressure on Sol Plaatje to deal with the long overdue sewerage issues in an around Kimberley.We will also be submitting questions to the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, to ascertain what impact studies they have in place given that the sewerage spills onto Platfontein farmland have completely changed the biodiversity in the area.Sol Plaatje municipality urgently needs to put plans in place to protect sewerage plants from vandalism, cable theft and ensure that other maintenance related issues are attended to, to ensure that residents can live in safe, sewerage free communities. |
| Media Enquiries |
| Reinette Liebenberg, MPLDA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson on Agriculture, Land Reform, Rural Development, Environment and Nature Conservation071 7332 640 Chrystal FrancisResearcher079 2260 991 |
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