Today I launched the Clear Rivers Campaign for Mandela Month at the Apies River in Pretoria North.
I paid tribute to the volunteers who give up their time to clean our rivers, but I pointed out that these clean-ups are treating the symptom, not the cause. Every few months, dedicated volunteers return to remove more rubbish because waste is thrown into our rivers with little fear of consequences.
The Apies River flows through the heart of our capital city, but it is so polluted that you cannot drink the water or swim in it, and there are no fish. There are leeches and blood worms, fly infestations and terrible smells. This is mostly due to sewage flows from the Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Works, and discharges from industrial companies.
The national picture is equally dire. According to the 2025 Green Drop report, 396 out of 848 (47%) of our municipal wastewater treatment systems are in a critical state. This has worsened from 39% in 2022, and only 8% of wastewater systems achieved a good or excellent performance.
The situation is so bad that there are 96 active criminal cases for sewage pollution involving 53 water service authorities across all nine provinces.
We need to get tougher on those who pollute our water. The National Minister has given me the responsibility to establish a National Polluter’s Register. This will be a significant “Name and Shame” tool for accountability and sanctions. I will be relentless in pursuing those who poison our precious water.
Pollution of rivers and freshwater ecosystems should be reported to the Hotline 0800 200 200.
While the government must do its part, citizens have responsibilities as well.
In the spirit of Mandela Month, I call on South Africans to:
- Adopt a river – or a stretch of a river – in your community.
- Get involved – participate in clean-ups, report pollution, and hold authorities accountable.
- Monitor water quality – use citizen science tools to test the health of your rivers.
- Educate others – share knowledge about the importance of clean water.
- Sustain the effort – make river protection a daily commitment, not just a once-a-year event.
