Welcome
Overview:
Two issues have dominated the financial year:
The Court order of 23 June 2023 required the DWS Minister to provide an action plan to stop sewage
pollution of the Vaal River from the Emfuleni wastewater system. It also required that the Water and
Sanitation Minister include timing of the refurbishment and funding. SAVE received a ‘master plan’
without the required information on funding and timing. The Minister has also not adhered to clauses
concerning communication with SAVE by way of quarterly meetings. Our legal team advised the
State Attorney of our dissatisfaction. The response received from the State Attorney was
unsatisfactory too and litigation is proceeding.
Our Legal Team with the incorporation of Rossouw’s Leise Inc together with the current team and
Save have been in correspondence with DG Dr Phillips and DWS offices but not much has come from
their offices with feedback. We have since sent a final letter with Jeremy Ridel’s proposal that if they
fail to respond we will be taking the matter to the PUBLIC PROTECTOR for abuse of the process set
out.
The water lettuce crisis shocked the Vaal community. Several individuals and groups sprang into
action to deal with the carpets of water lettuce that covered most of the Vaal Barrage Reservoir,
providing funding and physically removing the weeds. The costs of this exercise, including eventually
spraying the weeds from a drone, were all covered by private funding. SAVE thanks to all those
individuals and groups involved in this great effort.
Omnia played a big role in funding the Taaibos Spruit clean up from its original state.
Rand Water under the leadership of Dr Leslie Hoy and with funding from DWS in the later part of last
year and this year have put a great effort into the River and the Taaibos Spruit to keep it clear of water
lettuce and hyacinth. SAVE has committed to have a representative at the monthly stakeholder
meeting. Their main contractor who was awarded the tender and whom in the interim appointed sub
contractors, have spent many an hour removing the water lettuce and Hyacinth that came back after
the last winter. The heavy rains have also helped was a lot away.
We have won this battle, for now but we are entering the new summer season and will keep an eye on
the way forward. The biological solution by Rand Water and property owners is still an ongoing
project breeding the weevils and hoppers.
Water Quality
These noxious weeds are a symptom of the real problem that is excessive amounts of sewage flowing
into the Vaal Barrage Reservoir from non-compliant municipal wastewater systems.
There is no question that the Emfuleni Municipality is our biggest problem in the Vaal Barrage
Reservoir because of the proximity of the discharge from the municipality’s three wastewater
treatment plants into the Vaal Barrage Reservoir.
The DWS has identified many other municipal polluters impacting the Vaal River system and SAVE
welcomes the Department’s intent of adopting a hard line against polluters.
Despite work being undertaken to refurbish the Emfuleni system, we have seen little improvement in
water quality after three years. This is confirmed in water quality analysis reports. There is no end in
sight to this project.
The worst area is Rietspruit because of the discharges from the Rietspruit and Sebokeng plants.
Complaints to the DWS Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement department have not provided any
feedback since the officials visited the sites. This is being followed up with the Chief Director.
MINISTERIAL TASK TEAM
It’s no secret that this task team was formed to provide a proposal on the establishment of a Special
purpose Vehicle to manage the system. Consensus was reached and a plan was put forward to the
Minister of Water and Sanitation for approval. SAVE’s representatives on this team were M. Plant
and M. Gaade. SAVE is fully supportive of this initiative.
This SPV has been widely broadcast over the media. We are waiting for the final implementation
which is held up due to the freezing of the ELM bank accounts.
COMMITTEE
I would like to thank the committee members, Maureen Stewart, Mike Gaade, Cindy Niblett, Desire
and Johan du Toit, Nico Siebrits, Brandon Stuart and Bee Hurlimann
Kathy Manten of Vaal Dam for their ongoing support.
FINANCES & FUNDRAISING
Total funding amounts to R 7 417 958 million as at the end of March 2025. Which is made up as
follows Legal and Call account R 1 684 276 and the water lettuce account R 5 436 680.
Interest earned on legal account was R 144 170 (thanks to the Omnia donation) and the water lettuce
account R 418 946
Expenditure amounted to R 4 789 698 of which R 4 673 365 was for the water lettuce R 29 440 on
legal fees and the balance general expenses.
A full set of audited financials is available on request.
A sincere ‘thank you’ to our regular supporters that include Bishops Bay, Shores of Loch Vaal, Milos
and Luciana Country Estate.
We had a very successful golf fund raising event and was well attended by 17 Four balls lots of
sponsored holes by the teams participating in the day and plenty of prizes that were donated by
sponsors and players and a few raffles. Our next Golf Day below:
Save The Vaal Golf Tournament 2025
