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High water levels and the opening of the sluice gates have spelt disaster for some communities downstream

Poorly maintained infrastructure — much of it more than 100 years old — dysfunctional wastewater treatment plants, fraud, corruption and collapse of local governance mean taps in many towns and villages have either run dry or have undrinkable water. Impact of corruption in the Department of...

There has been a ‘massive change’ to the country’s yellowfish population. And unless South Africa cleans up its rivers, a species that was once common could become severely threatened.

Editorial: No urgency to fix Vaal sewage crisis In 2007 local nonprofit Save the Vaal Environment (Save) met officials from the-then department of water affairs and forestry to discuss how to build new sewage infrastructure to deal with the pollution crisis in Emfuleni.  It was told it would cost R87-million, but nothing happened. Save would be in court the next year — and five more times until 2020 — successfully securing court orders that compelled the dysfunctional municipality to sort out the sewage problems.  With the exception of minor repairs, nothing happened. It is now in ongoi...

February 28, 2021 Years of water contamination from raw sewage is plaguing one of South Africa’s biggest water bodies, the Vaal Dam, on which about 19 million people depend, according to a report released this month by the South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Situated about 140 km (87 miles) from Johannesburg, the Vaal river system is a major source of drinking, household, and commercial water for the three large provinces it straddles, including the commercial capital of Gauteng. The news is deepening South Africa’s reputation as the hub of pollution on the continent. The count...