Government to act on Grootvlei

The water and environmental affairs department is poised to take further legal action against the Grootvlei gold mine near Springs, pending the outcome of a police investigation.

Grootvlei is allegedly discharging inadequately-treated acid mine water into a Ramsar-listed wetland.

"The matter is with the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA], and the SA Police Service [SAPS] investigating officer has taken more samples from the partially-treated water being pumped and discharged by the Grootvlei mine," Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said in written reply to a parliamentary question on Friday.

"My department will be advised as soon as the investigations have been concluded," she said.

The question was posed by Democratic Alliance MP Gareth Morgan, who, among other things, asked Sonjica whether the mine owners would be "compelled to remediate the affected Ramsar wetland".

Grootvlei is owned by Aurora Empowerment Systems.

The minister said the owners could be held liable for damage to the wetland.

"Yes, according to... the National Water Act... and depending on the outcome, the NPA may decide that the mine could be held liable for the remediation of the affected Ramsar wetland.

"However, correct procedures would have to be followed to investigate the matter and all the relevant stakeholders need to agree on the remediation process," Sonjica said.

There had been no improvement in the quality of the water being discharged by the mine.

"Due to the mine's financial position, there is insufficient treatment of the effluent, thus resulting in non-compliance with the discharge standards stipulated in the water-use license issued to the Grootvlei mine.

"My department continues to monitor the situation at the mine as well as in the Blesbok Spruit downstream to the Ramsar Wetland.

"The findings of the SAPS investigations and the NPA decision will guide my department on the way-forward," Sonjica said.