hygiene

The Department Water and Environmental Affairs (DWEA) has released its first annual report on the quality of drinking water. The report shows that only 22 of the country’s 284 municipalities achieved more than 95% compliance with the management of quality standards.

Local and international environmental activists have handed over a petition calling on the government to investigate the suspension of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) water expert, Anthony Turton.

The petition argues that Turton’s suspension is an assault on academic freedom. In a document containing 1 463 signatures from civil society, scientists and political parties addressed to president Kgalema Motlanthe, activists are also demanding that the CSIR drop all punitive action against Turton.