FF Plus reports municipalities to HRC – fight back against the violation of human rights

18 October 2018

The FF Plus has reported the Moqhaka and Matjhabeng Local Municipalities to the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) for serious human rights violations.

The complaints lodged with the HRC relate to the violation of the residents of the two municipalities' right to an environment that is not harmful to their well-being and health.

The Moqhaka Local Municipality, which includes Kroonstad, Viljoenskroon, Steynsrus and Vierfontein, was reported for the raw sewage flowing between the houses in the region of the informal settlement just outside Viljoenskroon.  The complaint also makes mention of the raw sewage that flows freely into the Vals River near the Brent Park residential area in Kroonstad.  Humans and animals are dependent on the Vals River for drinking water and this kind of pollution - an issue that the municipality has been aware of for years, but has done nothing about - is a crisis.

The Matjhabeng Local Municipality, which includes Welkom, Odendaalsrus, Virginia, Allanridge, Ventersburg and Hennenman, will have to answer to similar complaints of raw sewage that has been damming up against the R73 road at Bronville just outside Welkom for years now.

Residents, including young children and elderly people, have to walk by the raw sewage on a daily basis and in some places, there are even puddles of sewage between the houses.  This is a gross and unacceptable violation of residents' most basic right to a healthy environment and it serves as proof of the fact that the ANC has no regard for the human dignity of the people of the Free State.

The FF Plus has requested the HRC to urgently launch an investigation into the various municipalities' negligence to perform their most basic constitutional duties.

The poor maintenance of infrastructure brought on by the underspending of infrastructure allocations, a lack of expertise and incorrect priorities are all factors that contribute to the sewage crisis. As a result, the environment and water sources are being polluted.

The FF Plus is fighting back against poor service delivery and refuses to tolerate the ANC government's violation of basic human rights any longer.

Issued by Wouter Wessels, FF Plus MP and national spokesperson: Local Government, 18 October 2018