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Agri Eastern Cape says it obtained a ‘supervisory order’ which will result in the Chris Hani District Municipality having to take urgent steps to prevent raw, untreated sewage in Cradock from flowing directly into the Fish River.
The agricultural body said it instituted legal proceedings in the Grahamstown High Court against the Municipality after receiving concerning reports from members about the impact this would have on agricultural activities downstream.
Agri Eastern Cape said in a statement that it obtained the order in the Grahamstown High Court on Thursday.
It said after the failure of the CHDM and the Department of Water and Sanitation to urgently engage with them, a site inspection was carried out and it was confirmed that sewage was flowing into the Fish River from more than six sites.
“Furthermore, five pump stations and the wastewater treatment works were dysfunctional,” said CEO Brent McNamara
“Sewage leaked from almost every manhole along the sewerage system. Most of these manholes had sewage gushing from them, creating flowing streams that led to the Fish River.”
“The burial site of the famous ‘Cradock Four’ was under a lake of sewage and people in Lingelihle, Michausdal and Cradock were being forced to live with streams of sewage flowing past their front doors,” he added.
In terms of the Order, the Chris Hani District Municipality must serve and file a comprehensive report, on affidavit, detailing how it will be addressing the sewage issue.
The parties will return to court on 25 November, by which time responding affidavits should have been filed and site inspections conducted by appointed inspectors.
