Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
17 March 2023 | 20:38 CAT

Image: Sowetan Live

On the International Day of Action for Rivers, which was on Tuesday, WaterCAN says it plans to lay a criminal complaint against the City of Joburg and increases water testing as sewage continues to pour into our rivers. The organisation says that over the past few months, WaterCAN has tested water quality in the Umbilo River in eThekwini and the Klein Jukskei River in Johannesburg and found critical levels of E.coli from sewage in both.

WaterCan manager Ferrial Adams said according to statistics for South Africa, globally, our resources and rivers are threatened by either industrial or sewage pollution or climate change.

Globally, millions of tons of sewerage and pollution flow into the rivers and streams without global control. Statistics show that 50 000 litres of sewage are released into the fresh rivers per second in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Adam said the organisation plans to lay criminal charges against the municipal managers responsible for wastewater management treatment.

“We say the buck must stop with a person, someone must be responsible for the pollution and until that is done, this will continue,” she says.

Listen to the interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and his guest Ferrial Adam.