ANC violates the rights of North West residents

Image: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg

During today's session of the North West Provincial Legislature, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) pointed the finger directly at the ANC for destroying the environment and thus jeopardising the country's future.

In terms of the Constitution, government is mandated to conserve the environment, prevent pollution and protect everyone's right to a healthy living environment.

The current state of environmental destruction, therefore, amounts to a blatant violation of human rights due to the ANC's mismanagement and neglect.

Despite this constitutional mandate and existing environmental legislation, the environment and scarce water resources are daily polluted at an alarming rate – especially at municipal level.

Literally millions of litres of untreated sewage flow down streets and end up in streams, rivers and underground water sources. This is an utter disgrace. 

The courts have also ruled that insufficient budgets cannot be used as an excuse for this dereliction of duty.

The Green Drop Report highlighted in 2022 already that 40% of South Africa's sewage treatment plants were in a critical state at the time. The situation has since worsened. 

The ANC government's apparent unwillingness to take action against criminal elements, contributing to this environmental disaster, exacerbates the problem.

In the Rustenburg and Brits region, toxic chrome sludge chemicals and mining waste containing heavy metals have been dumped into streams and wetlands for years.

The vast majority of these chrome treatment facilities are blatantly operating unlawfully. Yet, no action is taken against the perpetrators. This amounts to criminal negligence and dereliction.    

This lawlessness deprives residents of clean and safe drinking water, threatens food security, and destroys the beautiful natural environment.

Even the United Nations (UN) has warned that South Africa's failure to address pollution constitutes a serious violation of human rights.

It is glaringly obvious that this issue is purely an ANC political problem. South Africa has sufficient legislation, implementation frameworks and constitutional provisions to enforce proper environmental management. The political will is simply lacking.   

Municipalities and authorities should be held accountable if they fail to comply with the findings and directives in Green Drop Reports, and ignore environmental legislation.

Through its actions, or lack thereof, the ANC has orchestrated the decay of our municipalities, conservation systems and natural environment.

South Africans ought to punish them for it at the polls. The ANC has to be brought to book for its laxity and violation of the people's basic human rights.

Media release by:

Michal Groenewald

Freedom Front Plus national chairperson and MPL in North West