Vaal River Anti-Pollution Forum

Former Minister Senzo Mchunu pronounced the establishment of an Anti-Pollution Forum for the Vaal River due to the implications of declining water quality in the Vaal River and the need for an integrated approach in resolving the challenges.

The main objective of the forum will be to co-ordinate, improve and integrate efforts for the management of the Vaal River quality in line with its determined resource quality objectives. This will be done through addressing risks elevated by the 16 catchment forums.

It will provide high-level guidance to ensure protection of the Vaal River and identify remedies to mitigate pollution impacts in all water use sectors (industry, mines, agriculture and wastewater works).

FUNCTIONS

The existing 16 catchment forums will be required to report the following to this overarching forum:

• Key pollution risks and risk mitigation.
• Reported pollution cases including unlawful discharges or non-compliances leading to pollution, regulatory actions taken and status.
• Participation of members – escalating repeat non-attendance and failure to report performance by such members.
• Compliance to Resource Quality Objectives – report parameters and sites in non-compliance with measures to address non-compliance.
• Pollution registers for sub-catchment represented where there is non-responsiveness to regulatory action.
• Development of an inventory of all users discharging into the Vaal River and its tributaries.
• The members of the Anti-Pollution Forum shall make recommendations and or proposals to address findings reported including the escalation of non-participation to DG and Minister (for municipal representatives).
• Coordinate and support awareness-building initiatives regarding water quality management in the Vaal River catchment.
• Ensure adequate stakeholder participation in the Forum processes.
• Collaboration with various institutions to improve quality of the Vaal River.
• Investigate and recommend innovative and best-applicable technologies to deal with pollution.
• Support existing catchment forums in the Vaal River.
• Publish a report on an annual basis tracking performance and implementation of recommendations and activities.

LEADERSHIP

The Forum will be led by:

• Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) – Under the leadership of the Deputy-Director General: Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement.
• CEO of Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency.
• Former Minister Mchunu has appointed Mr Marius Keet – Retired former acting Regional Head Gauteng and Chief Director: Water Quality Management has been nominated based on his experience and passion for water resources management.
• Mr Hubert Thompson, legal expert and board member of the VOCMA shall serve as vice-chairperson to support Mr. Marius Keet in his duties.

OPERATIONS

The forum will operate as follows:

• The forum will meet on a quarterly basis.
• DWS will provide the secretariat for the forum.
• All members shall serve in an unpaid capacity.
• The forum will report bi-annually to the Minister of Water and Sanitation on milestones achieved and challenges requiring intervention.
• A consolidated report will be published annually on the progress made by the forum.