Having visited the polluted Wemmer Pan, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said that its investigators would now start with its probe into the shocking state of the biohazard at the lake.
The commission has launched an investigation after the publication exposed how acid mine water and sewage was seeping into the lake.
The fish have died and birdlife has also been impacted. The summer rowing regatta that was set to take place on the lake also had to be cancelled.
At the Wemmer Pan on Tuesday, the SAHRC’s team saw first-hand the dark polluted water but over the next few days, the team will be returning to gather more evidence and even sit down with government departments to discuss the problem.
The commission’s Gauteng manager, Buang Jones, said that it was time that businesses were also held accountable for the water pollution and police needed to track down the culprits.
“If it’s a business entity, they must be held responsible and companies are required in terms Section 7 of the Companies Act, it requires companies to promote compliance with the Bill of Rights for businesses to mainstream human rights in their operations,” Jones said.
The commission said that it was necessary that law enforcement officers were given the necessary skills to investigate environmental offences to ensure someone was held liable for the crisis.
-EWN
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