Water in South Africa?

Did you know South Africa produces more than five billion litres of sewage every single day? 10% is ‘treated’ for direct human contact. And where does the rest end up? It’s dumped into rivers, oceans and dams.

Disgusting right?

The toxic water crisis in South Africa is out of control, we need urgent action to stop it. Will you tell the South African Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, to act now?

1. Cholera’s deadly resurgence – we’ve seen how poorly treated water opens the door to toxic algae and creates illnesses like cholera. The disease causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration, with thousands of cases and deaths reported, like in Hammanskraal, where residents are losing their loved ones to the disease. Reports say 50 people have died of an acute intestinal infection since 15 May.
2. Children and elderly people are at high risk – in areas with no access to clean water, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to waterborne diseases, and cases are on the rise.
3. Loss of biodiversity – polluted water can result in the death of fish and other sea life. This can disrupt the food chain, leading to a loss of biodiversity in affected ecosystems.

Just last year, a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) water crisis inquiry was held after over 600 complaints were submitted to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The commission released a report of the findings, including violations of rights to equality and dignity, poor planning, mismanagement of resources, and inadequate infrastructure maintenance by municipalities.

In Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape, communities have been forced to find alternatives as the water has recurring outbreaks of E. coli contamination. A recent report by the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation found that of the 155 treatment systems sampled, 41% came back showing bad microbial water quality compliance. This means 41% of our water is not safe to use.

In the meantime, the rough and heavy rains in Cape Town, Western Cape, have caused havoc – people have lost their loved ones, roads and homes have been destroyed, thousands were left without electricity, and crops are damaged, which will delay harvest for farmers. This will only cause more damage and worsen the water crisis.

There’s no more time to waste, we must act now. Will you sign this petition pressuring the SA government to prioritise finding solutions to the water crisis?