Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move:
That the Council -
1) notes that the acid mine drainage situation in the Eastern Basin of Gauteng is worsening by the day, namely -
a) acid mine water is rising daily in the Grootvlei mine;
b) 50 megalitres of untreated water was previously being pumped into the Blesbokspruit, despite a directive against the mine operators to treat the water;
c) all the water pumps underground at the mine are now switched off and have been moved to the surface;
d) the mine, in the absence of pumping, is now filling up at a faster rate;
e) the underground pumphouse will be flooded soon;
f) the likelihood of a decant in Nigel is growing; and
2) therefore calls on the Department of Water Affairs and the Department of Mineral Resources to intervene to force a return to pumping of mine water and ensure that the pumped water be appropriately treated in order to alleviate the already high pollution burden on the Blesbokspruit and Marievale Bird Sanctuary.