After a front-page report of a severe sewage spill in the Klipbou and other areas in Ermelo (Highvelder 30 November) a farmer has speculated that the polluted water in the river that runs through his farm has possibly led to deformed calves being born there.
The river flows into the Sand Spruit which in turn flows into the Vaal River.
Mr Kerneels van Rensburg of the farm De Vereeniging, 14 km outside Ermelo on the road between Ermelo and Morgenzon, believes that cattle that drink water from the Klein Drinkwater Spruit are giving birth to an unusually high number of deformed and sickly calves.
The fertility rate among the cows has allegedly dropped considerably.
According to Mr van Rensburg, of the calves born to some of the 50 cows that are kept in the camp near the river, three births had to be aborted, five “dumb” calves were born, one calf was stillborn and a further two were born blind.
One of the blind calves had to be put down due to severe infection of the mouth and an abscess caused by constant moronic licking and hanging tongue.
The other blind calf is being hand-reared and also suffers from moronic licking and a hanging tongue, signs of possible mental retardation.
“Dumb” calves experience difficulty in locating the cow’s udder to suckle.
Another 50 or so cattle that have been kept away from the river have not been affected.
“Two years ago I warned that this might happen. The raw sewage that lands up in the river at its origin outside Ermelo, together with pollutants from the now abandoned Mbabala Mine, has severely compromised the water quality. I firmly believe that the sewage, heavy metals and other toxins contained in the water cause abnormality in the formation of the embryos. I’ve been farming here for 14 years and this is the first time that this has happened. Sure, any cattle farmer will tell you there are mishaps with births now and again, but at this rate it’s obvious that something is seriously wrong,” said Mr van Rensburg.
He also pointed out that fish life in the river had ceased to exist.
“After a rainstorm we have to walk along the river bank to pick up plastic bottles, plastic bags and other garbage that gets washed downstream all the way from town,” he said.
In an attempt to alleviate the situation Mr van Rensburg has at great cost laid on fresh water to drinking cribs in the camp.
He added that the farm has irrigation rights, but has lately been forced to cease irrigating crops with water from the river.
“I now have to rely on boreholes,” he explained.
In 2012, the Highvelder accompanied Mr van Rensburg and technicians from the Department of Water Affairs to the river where water samples were taken for analysis. The findings were never made known.
A Highvelder journalist visited the site again on Monday and found the situation unchanged,
A stench still emanates from the water and sediment blackens the water when the riverbed is disturbed.
