By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
22 August 2025- In a bid to hold municipalities accountable for the contamination and pollution of Molopo River in Mahikeng, the Deputy Minister of Department of Water and Sanitation, Sello Seitlholo said he will lay criminal and civil charges against the municipalities that are responsible for polluting water resources.
Seitlholo made these remarks during the oversight visit to Mahikeng on 18 August 2025, to assess the state of pollution of water resources caused mostly by poorly functioning municipal waste water systems.
He joined by the Chairperson of Magalies Water Board, Dr Lydia Sebego and Limpopo Olifants Catchment Management Agency, Dr Thato Moeng, met the Executive Mayors of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality (NMMDM) and Mahikeng Local Municipalities, councillor Olehile Losaba and Tshepiso Mphehlo and led the delegation to an inspection of Molopo River, Mafikeng and Mmabatho Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTWs).
During the oversight visit, Seitlholo lamented that the lack of operation and maintenance of waste water infrastructure by the municipalities, as well as illegal connections of the sewage from their households was the main cause of sewer spillages into the environment such as rivers and streams. He further indicated the spillages have led to contamination of water resources and compromise of health of communities.
“We have also identified littering and illegal dumping of refuse and foreign objects into the Molopo River by surrounding communities as another major contributor of pollution of the water course.
“We encourage the municipalities to undertake awareness programmes to educate communities about the consequences of pollution of water resources,” said Seitlholo.
He added that everything starts and stops with municipalities. Seitlholo said, if South Africa is to work, municipalities must work.
“However, it is unfortunate that municipalities have undermined operation and maintenance of the infrastructures and the implementation of by-laws.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has taken enforcement actions against the district and the local municipality due to the malfunctioning of its WWTWs and the surrounding water use activities that are impacting on Molopo River and Lotlamoreng Dam,” he said.
Seitlholo said criminal cases have since been opened by the department and investigations are currently underway. He said the District Municipality is among the 20 Water Service Authorities (WSAs) categorised as the worst performing out of the 144 WSAs in the country.
“In August 2025, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina tasked me to be the custodian of the National Water Act (NWA), particularly Section 19 of the Act, in terms of the management of pollution water resources and to ensure that all necessary actions were taken against the culprits who cause pollution of water resources across the country.
“The Green Drop Report and the subsequent assessments reports of the performance of WWTWs by WSAs indicated poor compliance to the national norms and standards,” said Seitlholo.
He said the Green Drop report released by the DWS tells them that the biggest contributors of pollution to the water resources are waste water infrastructures that are dysfunctional and critical and end up discharging partially treated and untreated sewage into water resources. Seitlholo said this therefore makes it difficult to treat waste water to the required quality standard.
The Guardian 