Water is essential to daily life—whether for drinking, bathing, or cooking. It is crucial that we have access to clean, safe tap water at all times. However, the 2022 Blue Drop Progress Report revealed that tap water from many South African municipalities poses serious health risks. Leanne Coetzee, a Waterlab consultant, confirmed that 60% of municipalities fail to meet required microbiological standards, meaning South Africa’s tap water can contain harmful contaminants such as lead, arsenic, and other chemicals that pose long-term health risks.
For nearly a decade, the community of Mhluzi has been grappling with this crisis, similar to the ongoing Hammanskraal water issue. This suggests noncompliance and lack of proper monitoring, disproportionately affecting women who, as primary caregivers, bear the brunt of environmental degradation.
We cannot afford to wait for a cholera outbreak to take action. We demand answers for the ongoing silence while our community continues to consume contaminated water. Many households have resorted to buying purified water, but lower-income families have no such option, making them vulnerable to health risks. Clean water is a basic human right, enshrined in Section 24 of our Constitution.
In 2014, during a workshop hosted by the Centre for Environmental Rights, Mhluzi residents raised concerns about polluted water, but no action was taken. As CER Executive Director Melissa Fourie pointed out, the insufficient number of health officials monitoring compliance allows our leaders to avoid accountability.
The municipality’s silence and inaction are putting lives at risk. It is time for residents to unite and demand that Bathobile Shabangu address this issue. Access to clean water will not only save lives but protect the health of future generations, including our children and elderly.
Reference
[1]
www.groundup.org.za on 19 June 2014. GroundUp journalist Barbara Maregele has been reporting from the CER's road trip to pollution-affected areas of the Mpumalanga Highveld, also joined by our partners groundWork, Greenpeace and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network.
[2]
www.oasiswater.co.za 23 January 2023. Everything You Need To Know About Purified Water.
[3]
www.actionaid.org/south-africa. Coal Mining Threatens People's access to water in Mpumalanga
[For ethical concerns, I received full consent from the children displayed to post the picture above. The campaign was well explained to them and they agreed to participate]
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