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The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal has called on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) MEC, Ravi Pillay, to take swift and decisive action in the form of criminal charges against municipal and district managers. This as local government infrastructure failures continue to ruin tourism and ecology in the province.

The call comes after a DA oversight inspection to Ladysmith last week, which has revealed that the town is now the latest tourism hotspot to be decimated by constant sewage leaks.

During the visit, the DA witnessed widespread pollution of the Cochrane Spruit, with raw sewage regularly running from dilapidated sewerage pipes into the spruit, into the Kliprivier and ultimately into the Tugela River.

Meanwhile, local tourism establishments - already battling to make ends meet - continue to grapple with declining visitor numbers as the stench of sewage permeates various suburbs.

Sewerage leaks across the province continue to have a profound effect on tourism and the natural ecology and it is clear that the provincial government has lost the fight against ecological degradation.

The historic town of Ladysmith is no exception. These latest revelations come in the wake of other tourism hotspots such as the Umzingazi Lake in Richards Bay, and estuaries within the Ugu District being contaminated by raw sewage.

The DA will continue to campaign for municipal and district managers to be held criminally liable for their inability to properly maintain critical infrastructure. Their failings are criminal in nature according to the raft of environmental laws - and action must be taken.

The people of KZN deserve more. They deserve hope for the future. This requires change which they will have the opportunity to implement at the ballot box later this year.

Issue by The DA