Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will on Friday visit the Vaal river system rehabilitation project that is currently under way in Sebokeng.
This followed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force technical teams to restore infrastructure, including dysfunctional plants and substations, at the polluted Vaal river system.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in October called on the defence force for rehabilitation assistance after it emerged that the communities in Vereeniging, Sebokeng, Boipatong and Sharpeville face alleged water pollution caused by raw sewage flowing into the river from pump stations operated by the Emfuleni municipality.
“The rehabilitation of the Vaal river system is a priority to us and we cannot succeed alone. The visit on Friday is not only meant to check on progress made by the army, but to garner support from surrounding communities and business people in the area.
“We are of the view that working with external stakeholders could assist us in finding sustainable solutions to the water crisis in the Vaal river system,” Mapisa-Nqakula said in a media statement issued on Thursday.
The site visit will include inspections of two treatment plants and three water pump stations.
An engagement session with business leaders and various stakeholders in and around the Emfuleni local municipality is also scheduled to take place following the inspections.