The current badly polluted Seekoei river as seen in March this year (photo above) is making its way to the sea and through the Aston Bay Estuary in Jeffreys Bay where people are swimming.
Alarm bells again surfaced this month when photos taken on 3 March 2025 show the dreadful state of the river which looks like a ‘dead river’ flowing from just outside Humansdorp near that town’s WWTW. It flows to the Seekoei estuary at Aston Bay and to the sea.
Complaints about contaminated water and polluted water have frequently in the past six years erupted in media and online:
And more recently criminal cases against 26 municipalities have been opened for pollution by national bodies like the Department of Water and Forestry (DWAF) and by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
There is already an environmental court case looming against 26 municipalities in South Africa. (It takes at least three years to get cases to court and the pollution normally continues before a fine is issued). It is reported that with most of these type of cases ratepayers end up paying the fines, but some individuals found responsible can also be fined.
According to the latest National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report, published on 18 November 2024, the Green Scorpions arrested more than 500 suspects over the past financial year. They registered 634 criminal dockets and issued more than 1000 admission of guilt notices for less serious environmental offences (with just over half of these fines paid).
Following the analysis of the progress reports received from the various provinces, the NPA report stated there are common areas which have been identified: procurement irregularities; appointment irregularities; theft of cash; fraud, corruption and maladministration. Fines of around R200-million can be issued to municipalities found guilty .
In 2023 a Kouga resident laid a ‘pollution of the environment charge’ and that case is also due in court in at some point. Then most recently a concerned group of residents from St Francis reported serious pollution of a farm dam below the Humansdorp WWTW and have a video of a stream with severely polluted water/ effluent running under a gate and down into the once lovely dam. (photo stills, below from video) If the dam overflows the polluted water runs into the Seekoei river and to Aston Bay. And the dam really stinks, the group says..
The Green Scorpions (GS) and DWAF and NPA) are currently said to be investigating this case. There were quite a lot GS vehicles around at end of February. The group of concerned residents contacted the GS.
The sewerage problem in Kouga has been a long-standing issue, with significant public attention since at least 2018. Residents, particularly in Aston Bay and nearby areas like Paradise Beach, have consistently reported untreated sewage flowing from the Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) through the Swart River into the Seekoei Estuary, and eventually affecting coastal areas. They’ve pointed to high E. coli levels, fish dying in huge numbers in the estuary and a persistent foul stench as evidence of pollution from these plants. The municipality has stated the issue stems solely from ‘natural causes like rotting algae’ (eutrophication) or drought.
Community leaders have been vocal about ‘pollution’, alleging the Humansdorp treatment works has been dysfunctional for more than five years, and that effluent has been spilling into the environment unchecked. Some claim the treatment plant does not discharge clean water.
St Francis Chronicle asked the KM for comment on the pollution and of the Seekoei River before gong to print. The municipality declined to comment.
