Fish are dying in the badly-polluted uMsunduzi River in KwaXimba. A spillage of vegetable oil and caustic acid from a Willowton Oil factory in Pietermaritzburg has created an environmental and health disaster in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. The locals say they fear for their lives and their livestock.
“A person who did this, it shows that he or she doesn’t respect the environment and undermines people,” said Mhlakubuswa Gwala, a resident in the area. uMsunduzi is famous for the Duzi Canoe Marathon and all activities have been suspended.
The local authorities are fuming and are calling for harsh action against the polluter. Fish are dead. I’m told some cows also have died and the smell, you can feel it yourself in the area where people live,” said local councillor Musa Mkhize.
“Now, one of the things that must be investigated is why the company was built next to the river. Provincial authorities say they are concerned about the spillage and its environmental and health risks.
An environmental disaster. Badly polluted Msunduzi river in KZN midlands. Fish & cattle dying following vegetable oil and caustic acid spilled to the Baynespruit stream, badly polluting the water. The spillage incident occurred at the Willowton Oil factory in PMB. #eNCA pic.twitter.com/RFeEOvDIvt
— Siphamandla Goge (@SiphamandlaGoge) August 16, 2019
It is unfortunate because we are just coming from the climate change summit where we have been dealing with the protection of our environment, the protection of our diversity,” said KZN Environmental Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube. In a statement, the Willowton Group says it’s investigating the incident.
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Source: eNCA
