Note to Editors: Please note Hannah Lidgett, MPL sound bite in English
An oversight by the DA in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to the Umhlanga River in the Riet River suburb, has revealed large-scale dumping and alleged sewage contamination to the point of ecocide – the destruction of our natural environment by deliberate or negligent human action.
Massive mounds of garbage are cascading directly into the river system (view here), with evidence also pointing to the operation of illegal dumping sites. The DA is aware that the area has become notorious for people travelling from afar to dispose of waste unlawfully. Yet, to date, little to no visible enforcement action has been taken.
Compounding this was the discovery of what appears to be raw sewage flowing directly into the river from an outlet pipe (view here). This is a river used by surrounding communities and animals – which ultimately flows into the ocean – placing public health, marine life and tourism at serious risk.
That this environmental collapse has been allowed to continue for so long without intervention is shocking and the DA will insist on accountability from eThekwini Municipality. We will also work closely with our local representatives and write to KZN’s Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) portfolio committee chairperson to request an urgent oversight.
Authorities cannot continue to turn a blind eye while our rivers and oceans are treated as open dumps and sewer lines as discharge points. What happens upstream inevitably affects downstream communities.
This ongoing crisis comes in the wake of the DA’s fight against eThekwini Municipality, which saw the Pietermaritzburg High Court instruct the municipality to publicly publish E. coli readings and implement a comprehensive action plan to repair and maintain sewer infrastructure – with progress reported back to court.
Tourism in Durban continues to crumble due to environmental decay as polluted rivers and beach closures drive visitors away, hurt jobs and damage the city’s reputation.
As a responsible partner within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will continue to conduct oversight of the Umhlanga River and will demand that infrastructure is fixed, dumping is cleared and enforcement action pursued.