Municipal neglect may lead to environmental disaster

The Wasgoed Spruit in Potchefstroom is covered in litter and garbage, and the JB Marks municipality, which is responsible, in terms of the South African Constitution,  for promoting a safe and healthy environment, does not appear to be doing much to improve these conditions or to prevent further environmental damage. 

The long-term rampant pollution may have an irreversible impact on the underground water system of the town and affect the health of residents, including that of students, a water expert warned. 

Professor Sandra Barnard, a professor of botany and an expert in algae and water quality at the North-West University (NWU), explains that the polluted water can eventually end up in the underground water system, which residents in Potchefstroom use. The NWU Potchefstroom campus could also be affected as it uses boreholes for a large percentage of its water needs. 

According to an eyewitness, who crosses the Wasgoed Spruit regularly when commuting to and from Vuselela Technical and Vocational Education and Training College, there is a constant increase in the litter with no attempts made by the municipality to clean the area or to implement steps to reduce the litter in the surrounding areas. 

Sbusiso Mbete (22), another Vuselela student who also travels the same route on his daily commute, stated “as the year progresses the litter and pollution only seem to worsen”. He also said that he has not seen or noticed any members of the municipality visiting or cleaning this area and attending to this problem. 

This particular area is part of Ward 25 and has a DA councillor, Bertus le Roux. According to him the pollution crisis stems from a broader issue since many individuals carelessly discard garbage and are illegally living in the damaged tennis club near Wasgoed Spruit. 

He mentioned that the DA has made several requests to the city council to demolish this building, with the intention of solving the issue while simultaneously solving the pollution issue. 

“Refuse dumping is a contradiction of our bylaws, which means that the guilty party can be prosecuted,” said Le Roux. He says illegal trespassers who are dumping garbage and causing pollution will remain a problem if the municipality does not establish an appropriate Municipality Court to deal with these types of situations. 

Professor Barnard says each part of the environment is connected. She explains that the naturally occurring process named Eutrophication occurs when the algae in the water feed on the nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. But as soon as there is a surplus of these nutrients, the algae will grow very rapidly and out of control, causing the water it grows in to become toxic to humans and animals. 

Barnard stated that whatever we do to the environment would eventually have a reciprocal effect on us, which is why having and maintaining a healthy environment should be of great concern to all. 

The JB Marks municipality did not respond to questions about the Wasgoed Spruit. By Monique Rossouw, Rozanne Swart, Eugene Shitikulu, Keneuoe Phadi.