The Democratic Alliance DA has accused the Local Municipality of being aware of this but choosing to turn a blind eye. "The DA has established that this happened years ago when the Riverview sewerage plant had over flown into the river. The municipality is well aware of the matter. Various complaints have been sent their way, and one of their senior officials has vted the area for an oversight. However, all these exercises have proven worthless." DA Councillor Maureen Scheepers, It's understood that the Department of Water & Sanitation DWS has also opened a criminal case against the municipality. In July 2023, the DWS engaged in several initiatives to address the pollution of rivers by municipal waste water treatment systems. That's after the Green Drop report indicated that the performance of many municipal waste water treatment systems was deteriorating. The report identified 334 wastewater systems in a critical state of performance, in 90 municipalities. The DA said it will approach the South African Human Rights Commission over raw sewage flowing into the Olifants river_ Residents living on the riverbank have also reported that all wildlife including crabs, fish and birds have disappeared

Source: The Herald (Middelburg)