6 October 2026
The Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Plant near the township of Jouberton in the Matlosana municipality has not been operational since 2023, and raw sewage is flowing into the Vaal River system. Archive photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
Deputy water and sanitation minister Jack Bloom says his office will follow up with the police on criminal charges laid against the Matlosana municipality for the failure of the Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Works.
The water treatment plant has not been operational since March 2023.
Bloom conducted an oversight visit to the plant on Monday, 5 October. This followed reporting by GroundUp on the impact of broken treatment plants in Matlosana on the environment.
The plant, in the North West’s City of Matlosana, discharges untreated sewage into the Skoonspruit (which means “clean stream”). The Skoonspruit winds through the municipality, eventually flowing into the Vaal River, which supplies fresh water to about a third of South Africa’s population.
Last month, GroundUp conducted water tests in the Skoonspruit, downstream from the Klerksdorp and Orkney wastewater treatment plants, where poorly treated and raw sewage enters the waterway. We used citizen-science screening kits to test for coliform bacteria and E. coli. Both tests showed heavy bacterial growth, including dangerously high levels of E. coli (bacteria found in the waste of warm-blooded animals).
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Auditor-General, Parliament and civil society have for years identified a broader sanitation crisis in Matlosana, driven by ageing infrastructure, inadequate staffing and funding, vandalism and poor revenue collection.
In February 2026, the Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency laid criminal charges for sustained pollution from the Klerksdorp treatment plant after follow-up compliance measures failed.
In a statement on Monday, Bloom said his office would approach the police to determine why they have not yet obtained a warning statement from the municipal manager, which is needed for the matter to be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision on prosecution.
“The seriousness of the delays should not be minimised, as Matlosana is subject to court orders requiring action on the sewage crisis, and continued non-compliance can result in contempt proceedings,” said Bloom.
During the visit, officials were told that the plant had been without electricity since a transformer was burnt and cables stolen by armed illegal miners. Security has since been increased.
Bloom said restoring electricity is a priority, and major repairs are likely to start in July 2027. Planning documents were submitted to DWS on 2 October 2026 for appraisal and potential funding, he said.
The City of Matlosana has not responded to GroundUp’s repeated queries relating to sewage pollution since 8 September.