Rivier Street Lydenburg, an environmental hazard to residents
A river of sewage in Rivier Street has residents up in arms, as it has been a point of contention for nearly 10 years.
For the past few weeks, partly due to the rainy season, manholes and water treatment stations in Rivier Street have been overflowing.
Cilla Young of the Tumbleweed Nursey said they are suffering under these conditions. The residents are forced to drive through the sewage water.
According to Themba Sibiya, the media and marketing officer of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM), the council is working on the reported problems.
They are experiencing delays due to failed infrastructure.
The sewage water is festering and has created a foul-smelling wetland area. The water flows into the Dorps River before it joins the Spekboom River.
In 2022 the Lydenburg Regional Court found TCLM guilty of seven charges in terms of the National Environmental Managing Act (Nema) 107 of 1998 and the National Water Act 36 of 1988. This included pollution of the Dorps and Spekboom rivers in wards 2, 12 and 14, and the mismanagement of the Lydenburg landfill site and the two water treatment plants. Water samples of Rivier Street were included in the court case.
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TCLM was sentenced to a R10m fine of which R5m was suspended on condition that TCLM is not convicted under Nema and the National Water Act in the next five years
Magistrate MJ Ngobeni imposed several strict deadlines by which the progress of the reinstatement of infrastructure will be monitored by the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Environmental Affairs.
As this is a pending investigation, the paper will keep its readers updated regularly.
