AfriForum, the civil rights group, is poised to release results from privately commissioned water tests after Stellenbosch Municipality refused its requests for transparency on water quality. The organisation’s independent analysis, conducted by an accredited laboratory, will examine alleged sewage contamination in the Veldwagters and Eerste Rivers, after longstanding community complaints of pollution.

The move follows a year of frustrated attempts by AfriForum to obtain municipal water quality data through South Africa’s Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). After a PAIA request in October 2023 was stonewalled, and subsequent appeals dismissed, AfriForum took matters into its own hands. Initial tests confirmed significant pollution in the area’s water sources, heightening concern over possible untreated sewage discharge and deteriorating sanitation standards.

In an effort to collaborate, AfriForum notified Stellenbosch Municipality of its intention to test local water as part of its annual national Blue and Green Drop Project, which monitors water quality nationwide. The municipality, however, declined to participate, stating that it conducts its own internal tests and releases results only after the Department of Water and Sanitation publishes its official reports. Requests for access to the sewage treatment facility were also denied, with officials citing confidentiality.

AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Boland, Jacques Benade, expressed concern over the municipality’s opacity, warning that continued pollution could impact both public health and Stellenbosch’s economy, which depends on agriculture and tourism. Meanwhile, AfriForum’s legal team is exploring further action to compel transparency on the matter, emphasising that Stellenbosch’s residents deserve clear assurances on water quality.

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