THE wife of a prominent Port Alfred property developer has offered a reward to identify a whistleblower who reported her to the Green Scorpions for allegedly dumping sewage in the Kowie River.
Royal Alfred Marina developer Justin de Wet Steyn’s wife Annie posted the offer on her Facebook page last week shortly after the Green Scorpions visited their latest upmarket development – the Riverview Waterfront Estate.
Written in Afrikaans, the post urged anyone who had any idea who the whistleblower was to call Mrs de Wet Steyn and claim an undisclosed reward.
The post added she was considering legal action if she could identify the person who was “spreading rumours” – so their “mouths can be shut”.
Comments from friends included requests to Annie de Wet Steyn “to give them all hell” to hopes she would unveil the whistleblower’s name.
One friend, Chery Land, said: “Bloody hell! Some old fart with nothing better to do than cause “sh*t” for others. I detest that type of person!”
Attempts to get comment from Green Scorpions spokesman Sixolile Makaula took almost a week and when it finally did come, all it did was confirm they visited the seaside resort to investigate “several alleged environmental transgressions including sewage disposal into the Kowie River”.
“The department is not in a position to comment further on the findings emanating from the inspections.”
Although Justin de Wet Steyn confirmed a submersible pump had packed up on the estate resulting in them having to pump “clear liquid” onto the lawns in December so they could dismantle the pump and send it away for repairs, he denied any sewage had entered the Kowie River.
The pump was repaired and a similar pumping process followed to re-install it – before the pump packed up again and a new pump had to be sourced followed by the same process.
He denied even knowing the pump had packed up and said the development’s designated maintenance contractor, John Fetherstonehaugh, had handled the problem.
“John has assured me that at no stage did he pump any of the clear liquid overflow into the Kowie River .”
He denied speculation a bad odour in the air at certain times came from the development.
The issue of disposing of sewage from the development has been a bone of contention among neighbouring residents after a holding tank was constructed outside the gated community – instead of inside the grounds.
The tank was meant to be a temporary solution when installed in 2006 in the build-up to the whole area going onto waterborne sewerage in the years to come.
This has still not happened and legal action is pending.
Ndlambe Municipal spokesman Khulukile Mbolekwa yesterday said they had been alerted to the dumping of sewage in the Kowie River on March 15 and contacted the Green Scorpions .
“They are currently working on their investigation, and once the investigation has been completed and information gathered the municipality will pursue the matter and all responsible people will be dealt with.”
According to De Wet Steyn, the town’s sewerage trucks were unable to enter the arches to the gated development and Mbolekwa was concerned they could damage the entrance if attempts were made to get the trucks in.
“If we were to try and got stuck or damaged the gatehouse entrance, who do you think would bear the responsibility for the repairs?” he asked. —
EC businessman’s wife search for whistleblower
Royal Alfred Marina developer Justin de Wet Steyn’s wife Annie posted the offer on her Facebook page last week shortly after the Green Scorpions visited their latest upmarket development – the Riverview Waterfront Estate.
Written in Afrikaans, the post urged anyone who had any idea who the whistleblower was to call Mrs de Wet Steyn and claim an undisclosed reward.
The post added she was considering legal action if she could identify the person who was “spreading rumours” – so their “mouths can be shut”.
Comments from friends included requests to Annie de Wet Steyn “to give them all hell” to hopes she would unveil the whistleblower’s name.
One friend, Chery Land, said: “Bloody hell! Some old fart with nothing better to do than cause “sh*t” for others. I detest that type of person!”
Attempts to get comment from Green Scorpions spokesman Sixolile Makaula took almost a week and when it finally did come, all it did was confirm they visited the seaside resort to investigate “several alleged environmental transgressions including sewage disposal into the Kowie River”.
“The department is not in a position to comment further on the findings emanating from the inspections.”
Although Justin de Wet Steyn confirmed a submersible pump had packed up on the estate resulting in them having to pump “clear liquid” onto the lawns in December so they could dismantle the pump and send it away for repairs, he denied any sewage had entered the Kowie River.
The pump was repaired and a similar pumping process followed to re-install it – before the pump packed up again and a new pump had to be sourced followed by the same process.
He denied even knowing the pump had packed up and said the development’s designated maintenance contractor, John Fetherstonehaugh, had handled the problem.
“John has assured me that at no stage did he pump any of the clear liquid overflow into the Kowie River .”
He denied speculation a bad odour in the air at certain times came from the development.
The issue of disposing of sewage from the development has been a bone of contention among neighbouring residents after a holding tank was constructed outside the gated community – instead of inside the grounds.
The tank was meant to be a temporary solution when installed in 2006 in the build-up to the whole area going onto waterborne sewerage in the years to come.
This has still not happened and legal action is pending.
Ndlambe Municipal spokesman Khulukile Mbolekwa yesterday said they had been alerted to the dumping of sewage in the Kowie River on March 15 and contacted the Green Scorpions .
“They are currently working on their investigation, and once the investigation has been completed and information gathered the municipality will pursue the matter and all responsible people will be dealt with.”
According to De Wet Steyn, the town’s sewerage trucks were unable to enter the arches to the gated development and Mbolekwa was concerned they could damage the entrance if attempts were made to get the trucks in.
“If we were to try and got stuck or damaged the gatehouse entrance, who do you think would bear the responsibility for the repairs?” he asked. —
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