Emfuleni continues to experience water shortages “The municipality is currently in talks with Rand Water in an effort to find lasting solutions to the shortages, we apologise for the inconvenience and further encourage residents to use water sparingly at all times, said spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni. Picture: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG - Large parts of Emfuleni in the Vaal district are experiencing water shortages.
The municipality said the interruptions were a result of water reductions imposed by Rand Water as a credit control measure since last Thursday.
Dam Status & Total Storage Capacity in the Integrated Vaal River System
1 March 2021
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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 country of 58 million is already the biggest air polluter in Africa, and saw a 1.5% increase in carbon emissions in 2019, according to the 2020 Global Carbon Budget 2020 report. It relies on coal to power its electricity, which constitutes 80% of its energy requirements.
No accountability for Vaal River crisis, SAHRC report reveals
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) deems the pollution at the Vaal River to be beyond acceptable standards.
A report probing the pollution of the Vaal River finds that none of the government parties central to the saga has taken accountability for the pollution of the river which the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says is “beyond acceptable standards”.
BLAME SHIFTING BY PARTIES CENTRAL TO VAAL RIVER CRISIS
In a webinar hosted by the Mail and Guardian on Wednesday 17 February, outlining the contents of the report, it is revealed that the Emfuleni Local Municipality, the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have over the course of the SAHRC’s investigation – which began in 2018 – shifted the blame to other parties – including one another – for the crisis at the Vaal River.