Company Announcement - The Langkloof community and the local AfriForum branch teamed up to repair the Misgund sewage treatment plant yesterday. Something that the Kou-Kamma Local Municipality has failed to do for five years. This initiative follows after AfriForum presented the Municipality with an ultimatum to repair the treatment plant and bring it up to standard. However, the ultimatum fell on deaf ears and forced the community, including farmers from Louterwater, to intervene.

“The terrain was in a terrible condition with no security. Amongst other things, we deforested the area and hired an engineer to repair the system,” says Delarey Rademeyer, chairman of the Langkloof branch. The company Water Engineering Consult compiled a report in which they explain the state of the sewage treatment plant and list the solutions. According to the report there was a blockage in the settling tank which kept the bacteria needed for the treatment of the sewage from being cultivated.

“AfriForum is of the opinion that modern sewage works must be monitored constantly. Therefore the engineers did not only repair the treatment plant, but also trained the community to maintain it. With sufficient maintenance the treatment plant will be able to deliver purified water within three weeks,” says Rademeyer. Marnus van Staden, Provincial Coordinator for AfriForum in the Eastern Cape, emphasizes the importance of the agriculture in Langkloof and says that it is one of the last areas in South Africa where agriculture is the main economic sector.

“The Municipality is quick to brag about agriculture in the area, but when farmers ask for assistance they are ignored. We had no choice but to do the work ourselves. There are currently also dams that are run by the irrigation council so that farmers can securely develop their crops.” AfriForum will continue with the case in order to claim back all expenses from the Municipality since it is their responsibility to maintain the sewage treatment plant.

Add your name to the case against the Municipality by sending MISGUND to 32078 (R1).