Driver suspended for dumping raw sewage into dam

A private company is under police investigation after a honey sucker truck was filmed dumping raw sewage into the Mthatha Dam.
Image: Supplied

The driver of a honey sucker truck that was caught red-handed dumping litres of raw sewage into the Mthatha dam on Friday has been suspended.

This was revealed by Anix Trading, the company that owns the truck. They also told the Daily Dispatch on Tuesday that they had launched their own investigation into the incident, which went viral on social network platforms last week.

King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality fined the company R2,000.

But Bongani Matomela, a director in the OR Tambo district’s municipal manager’s office, said in principle, the amount was just too small.

Anix Trading office manager, Cwenga Sigwili, confirmed the honey sucker truck belonged to them.

“He [driver of the truck] was suspended immediately on Friday. He was served with a suspension which he accepted and signed. He has been suspended pending our own investigation,” said Sigwili.

He was unable to say how long their internal investigation would take, but said they would release a detailed statement once the process was completed. Sigwili said the company would not deliberately allow such dumping as they were also part of the Mthatha community.

“There is no amount of apology that can undo that. The statement will shed more light on what happened and steps that will be taken.”

He said the company and its owner, Monwabisi Jama, were doing everything to co-operate with relevant government departments and other affected stakeholders and would try to speed up the internal investigation.

The Dispatch reported on Monday that the incident had left many people, including municipal authorities and ratepayers, seething with anger.

OR Tambo district mayor Thokozile Sokanyile labelled it an embarrassment while national water & sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau said it was an attack on the people of the country.

sikhon@dispatch.co.za

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