PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action (VEM), wrote to Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on 9 April 2020 to demand urgent water provision for communities in and around eMalahleni. The letter highlights that several areas have lacked reliable water since September 2019, forcing residents to use contaminated streams, which increases health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Several communities in and around eMalahleni, specifically Extension 11, Empumelelweni, Extension 14, and Coronation, have lacked access to a reliable water supply since September 2019.
• Due to inadequate relief from the eMalahleni Local Municipality, residents in affected areas rely on contaminated streams that are shared with livestock and located downstream from industrial facilities and coal mines.
• The lack of clean water in eMalahleni hinders the ability of residents to follow COVID-19 preventative measures, such as handwashing, and exacerbates existing respiratory conditions caused by chronic air pollution from power stations, coal mines, and heavy industry.
• The eMalahleni area is located near the Olifants River Catchment, which the Department of Water and Sanitation has identified as one of the most stressed catchments in South Africa regarding both water quality and quantity, facing ongoing degradation by non-compliant coal-mining companies.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2020). PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter_Urgent-water-supply-to-eMalahleni-communities_9-April-2020.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY. 2020. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter_Urgent-water-supply-to-eMalahleni-communities_9-April-2020.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY |date=9 April 2020 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter_Urgent-water-supply-to-eMalahleni-communities_9-April-2020.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2020provision, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CER-letter_Urgent-water-supply-to-eMalahleni-communities_9-April-2020.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }