The Department of Water Affairs is to take legal action against the company responsible for a cyanide spill in the Ngagane river near Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal.
Acting regional director for water resource management in the province, Jay Reddy, says the department is waiting on investigation results, which should be completed by the end of the week.
He says if it is confirmed that Karbochem, a synthetic rubber manufacturer, was the culprit of the spill, the department will hand over the matter to their compliance and monitoring and enforcement unit, which will enforce legal action against the company.
The spill was discovered on Thursday morning when cows died after drinking from a stream near a site outside Newcastle.
