The government has been warned that it could face a string of civil claims for damages as a result of the Vaal sewage crisis.
The warning comes in a report by South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which launched an inquiry into the sewage pollution in 2018.
EWN quoted Human Rights commissioner Jonas Sibanyoni as saying that the poor service delivery (which caused the pollution) and constitutional violations could result in a massive civil case for the state.
‘In respect of Water and Sanitation Department, the pollution of the Vaal area will result in further litigation that could escalate all the way to the Constitutional Court,’ Sibanyoni said.
According to the report, the SAHRC has recommended that any irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure be investigated and the relevant parties be made to pay back the monies to the municipality and, where applicable, the matter must be reported to the police.
[Image: Kierano, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3379824]