Tender, labour and infrastructure disputes have left this pool to fester, and it is still leaking into the Dorps River, which flows through Lydenburg.
Steelburger/Lydenburg News made enquiries on Monday January 31 about the stages of the investigation by the Green and Blue Scorpions.
The investigators confirmed that all the criminal cases against Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) are still open and pending.
On Thursday February 3, DA councillor Spiros Couvaras, Marius Opperman (Ward 14) and Trudie Grové-Morgan, DA spokesperson for cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs (Coghsta) on a provincial level, interacted with residents of Extension 2. They were also joined by Sonja Boshoff, DA member of parliament (MP), and a MP who has been part of the Blue and Green Scorpion investigation since the beginning of the sewerage problems in Extention 2.
During 2020 and 2021, the DA laid eight criminal cases about the Extension 2 sewage pool with the Green and Blue Scorpions.
Spiros Couvaras was one of the DA councillors that worked tirelessly to help Extension 2. He and fellow coucillors opened the cases against TCLM that is currently being investigated by the Scorpions.
According to Sonja Boshoff, DA member of parliament, TCLM has failed to provide services in terms of the environmental act and health hazards. Investigators of the environmental management inspectorate of the criminal investigations section of Mpumalanga Environmental Affairs (Green Scorpions) were shocked by the amount of evidence they had compiled over the past two years.
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The Blue Scorpions is the core regulatory component within the Department of Water and Sanitation, which was set up to ensure the protection of all water resources in the country as well as the enforcement of all water and sanitation laws and regulations.
It is appointed in terms of the National Environmental Management Act of 2008. 
The now infamous Lydenburg Wastewater Treatment Works just outside Lydenburg on the R37 towards Burgersfort is one of the greatest issues. It has not been fully operational for the past four years.
These are points of non-compliance in eight confirmed ongoing cases against TCLM.
Most of these were opened in 2020 at the Lydenburg SAPS by DA councillors, alleging violations of human rights and pollution by TCLM in lieu of the National Environmental Management Act of 1998 and related environmental legislation.
⁰The Green and Blue Scorpions took over the investigation from the Lydenburg SAPS.
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Boshoff has also pointed out other areas of pollution and contamination of the town’s water system.
The Extension 2 sewerage project is part of the refurbishment of the sanitation infrastructure of TCLM, funded through the municipal infrastructure grant.
As this is a pending investigation, the paper will keep its readers updated regularly.
- *TCLM’s media and marketing manager, Themba Sibiya, was asked for comment on the latest state of affairs at Extension 2 and the cases opened at the Green and Blue Scorpions. No comment was received by the time going to press.
Sonja Boshoff, DA member of parliament, writes: .
It became crystal clear that this community, which encompasses the RDP section, has for the past 15 years received little to no services from the municipality. It is as if they are non-existent. Roads are falling apart and are posing a risk to road users, who often have to replace tyres due to pothole-infested conditions. First Street, which is the entrance road to Extension 2 and the road used by approximately 1 000 students, is a nightmare that in itself poses grave danger to the learners of Lydenburg Primary School. The roads in the RDP section have never seen any tar and are also not graded. They have turned into dongas, leaving many a resident with a bitter taste in their mouths. Street lights are non-existent, which also poses safety issues as it is pitch dark at night, allowing for any vagrant to easily obtain entrance to houses. The biggest bone of contention is the Olympic pool at the entrance of Extension 2. For many years now, the residents of this area have complained about the sight and stench, but alas, this has fallen on deaf ears. The smell is unbearable and the sight even more so. Children from this area can no longer play outside due to these smells and the health hazard the spillages bring about. It would appear that the municipality is adamant to punish residents living in DA wards, by neglecting to perform their constitutional obligations as contained in Chapter 2 and the Bill of Rights. May I remind the residents that every citizen that falls within the boundaries of its jurisdiction is entitled to service delivery, which is clearly missing in this area? The residents of Extension 2 are some of the most loyal residents when it comes to the payment of rates and taxes, and yet they are treated like second-hand citizens. I would like to challenge you to pay a visit to this area to see for yourselves the appalling conditions these residents live in. For years and years, they have been promised that attention will be given to their challenges, but to date, nothing has transpired. Each year their requests for projects are placed on the IDP, but that too does not materialise. The other day I read an article in which I saw that “giving of hope” in isiZulu is “thembisa.” My call on you, the honourable mayor Friddah Nkadimeng and municipal manager Siphiwe Matsi, is that “thembisa” will become your keyword during your term of office. This will most definitely serve as a symbol of all that is good, progressive and hopeful. The ward councillor, Marius Opperman, will continue to serve this community and together with myself as a member of parliament and Trudie Grové-Morgan, member of the provincial legislature, the matter will be escalated to both the MEC for Coghsta and the minister of Cogta.
*Sonja Boshoff’s letter was sent to TCLM for comment. None was received by the time going to press.
