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Premier Makhura in full support of DWS efforts to contain sewer overflows
The Gauteng Premier, David Makhura jointly with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Minister, Senzo Mchunu, lead a high powered government delegation involving Deputy Minsters, MECs, Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM) and Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Executive Mayors on an oversight visit to monitor progress on all problem areas of the municipality’s sewer reticulation system.
The visit afforded the delegation an opportunity to assess the full extent of the sewer challenges faced by ELM communities. Addressing members of the media earlier today, the DWS Minister, Senzo Mchunu indicated that the delegation has a clear mandate to identify the challenges plaguing the municipality’s sewer reticulation network, and further come up with a plan to contain spillages in ELM communities and the Vaal River.
“Emfuleni is in the news mainly because of what is happening with the sewer overflows in the area. The Vaal River has fallen victim to these spillages, equally so, people in Sedibeng have also fallen victim to spillages flooding their homes and communities”, Mchunu said.
The visit by the delegation started at the Vaal River and then proceeded to the Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) and Pump Stations (PS). The oversight tour was aimed at gaining a better understanding as to why the municipality is experiencing such a high volume of spillages.
The Minister alluded to a collapsed sewer reticulation system consisting of partly functional WWTW and dysfunctional sewer pump stations as the root cause of the spillages.
Responding to questions raised by members of the media yesterday (Tuesday, 12 October 2021), Premier Makhura said that his office is happy with the efforts and progress made by the DWS towards containing spillages in Emfuleni.
“Making sure that sewerage is handled in a proper manner is the competency of both DWS and ELM, making sure that Emfuleni fulfils its constitutional mandate of providing adequate services to all consumers is our duty. We completely behind the DWS and its initiatives to ensure that the municipality functions and is able to service its consumers.” Makhura said.
“The plan is to repair all of the sewer reticulation infrastructure in Emfuleni, as soon as we are done with that, work to clean all the Vaal River and other polluted natural surface water bodies will commence. Environmental NGOs in the region advised us of this plan and we have listened. There is no turning back from this point, its full steam ahead towards containing sewer spillages in Emfuleni.” Makhura concluded.
ELM is currently placed under administration by the provincial government however, Premier Makhura said that he has trust in the Section 139 intervention as it is intended to bring nothing but the much needed service delivery back in Emfuleni.