Study shows consequences of SA‟s water crisis 640, 15/11/2010: TimesLive: A UASA economic impact study on impact of SA‘s water crisis predicts decrease of disposable income, hike in government spending, thousands of job losses.
Bejaarde wil hof toe oor vuil water (Pensioner going to court over dirty water) 641, Johan Brits, Volksblad, 15/11/2010: Pensioner and former water-purification expert, Mr. Willem Cooks of Parys is suing the local ANC-run municipality over the dirty water. He fears for the health of residents as the dysfunctional sewerage plant causes dangerous pollution in the drinking water with the toxic disease causing Escherichia coli.
Fix our pipes, say Umthatha residents 642, Daily Dispatch, 17/11/2010: Residents are fed up with authorities failing to fix city‘s water infrastructure, where water has been flowing freely from burst pipe‘s for years.
Sewage polluting farmlands, farmers say 643, Susan de Villiers, Beeld, 17/11/2010: Johan Bester, a farmer from Ventersdorp has laid a charge of sewage dumping against the Municipality. The water is so polluted that suppliers will no longer be able to accept farmers products. Towns two sewage pumps not working, so cannot be pumped to the treatment plant, forms dams and seeps into the Schoonspruit, which is a main source for farmland irrigation.
R58 million for 0 houses, and not one cent recovered – Jack Bloom644, 25/11/2010, Politicsweb: In March 2007, then premier Mbhazima Shilowa promised legal action to recover R58 million from Bahlodi Construction Consortium which failed to build a single house in Evaton. But not a single cent has been recovered so far as the Gauteng Housing Department has switched to arbitration instead of court action against this company. Bahlodi has highlevel political friends. Its CEO Aziz Kara is a controversial figure who was banned from soccer activities for 10 years because of a bribery scandal. The contract was first awarded in 2004. Not one single official has been disciplined.
Water pollution: 79% of Blue Scorpion posts unfilled at regional level 645, 25/11/2010, Gareth Morgan, Shadow Minister ofWater and Environmental Affairs, Democratic Alliance: The growing pollution of rivers and dams only going to get worse, unless Dept. of Water significantly ramps up its ability to act against polluters. The so-called Blue Scorpions, who are responsible for enforcing the National Water act, have a vacancy rate of 79% across their regional offices, while at national level it is 36%.
Gifwater: Diere vrek van dors (Poisonwater: Animals dying of thirst)646, 25/11/2010, Elise Tempelhoff, Beeld: Small animals in the Kruger National Park are dying in their dozens from thirst, because water in the Tweelopies stream is poisonous, as a result of contaminated water flowing from mines in the West Rand into the stream. The animals refuse to drink it and are dying of thirst, says Mr. Stefan de Toit, Environment specialist for the Mogale City Municipality.
Plakkery styg 1000% sedert 1994 (Squatter camps increase by 1000% since 1994)647, Lizel Steenkamp, Nuus 24: squatter camps have increased by 1000% since 1994, greatly as a result of court decisions decided in favour of squatters, said Min. of Housing, Mr. Tokyo Sexwale. There are currently 2700 squatter camps nationally.
Vaal river water crisis looms648, 21/12/2010, Sipho Masondo, TimesLive: A water time-bomb is ticking for millions of Vaal River users, due to acidic seepage from waste of abandoned mines.
Millions lost because ANC can‟t run a ferry 649, 19/01/2011, DA, Annelie Lotriet, Shadow Minister of Arts and Culture: A reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question has revealed millions of rands have been lost as a result of the continual breakdown of the Sikhululekile ferry, which is used to transport tourists to Robben Island. The ferry is operated
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http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article763392.ece/Study-shows-consequences-of-SA-water-crisis http://www.volksblad.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Bejaarde-wil-hof-toe-oor-vuil-water-20101115 http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=449620 643 http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sewage-polluting-farmlands-farmers-say-20101117 644 http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=212900&sn=Marketingweb+detail 645 http://www.da.org.za/newsroom.htm?action=view-news-item&id=8952 646 http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Gifwater-Diere-vrek-van-dors-in-reservaat-20101125 647 http://www.nuus24.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Plakkery-neem-met-1000-toe-sedert-1994-20101125-2 648 http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/article825464.ece/Vaal-River-water-crisis-looms 649 http://www.da.org.za/newsroom.htm?action=view-news-item&id=9053 641 642
Hard Copy Print Version: Last Update: 09-01-2011: Other Translations Available from: www.african-white-refugees.co.nr
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