Question NW907 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Khumalo, Dr NV to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

With regard to the Republic’s rivers filled with waste and no one wanting to take responsibility for the high E.coli counts or the mountains of litter in the rivers, and in light of the fact that the Republic is a dry country classified as semi-arid and receiving just under half the average annual rainfall of the rest of the world and predicted to become even drier with climate change, how (a) is this phenomenon impacting on water quality and security and (b) will her department take action and intervene with specific time frames, roles and responsibilities to the astronomical E.coli numbers and pathogens found in the rivers to ensure good water quality and security throughout the Republic?