News

Bosveld Phosphates Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to contravening sections of both the National Environmental Management Act and the National Water Act through their unlawful discharge of hazardous waste water. The sentence comes at a time when increasing climatic variability is expected to result in more frequent incidences of uncontrolled surface and sub-surface pollution events into water courses from industrial activities such as these.

“While SANParks welcomes the judgement by Magistrate Nkuna in this case, changing climatic conditions are an on-going cause for concern around environmental pollution events and their effects on national water security and biodiversity. Much of the real cost of remediation of such pollution events is externalised and carried by the environment. This judgement sends a strong message that compliance to South Africa”s environmental and water management legislation is non-negotiable and management strategies must be put in place by the investors to deal with the changing climate”, said Dr Stefanie Freitag-Ronaldson, GM: Savanna & Arid Research Unit: Scientific Services.

SANParks commits to on-going and long-term monitoring and evaluation of pollution events into KNP”s rivers, which are the lifeblood of this iconic national heritage and international treasure.