Government Downplays Risks as Official Reports Expose Toxic Neglect
A damning investigation reveals the African National Congress (ANC) government is “concealing” a drinking water contamination crisis, with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) from South Africa’s vast HIV program polluting rivers and taps.
Cited in a July 18, 2025, media statement by the South African Government, Water Research Commission (WRC) reports show ARV levels soaring to 38 micrograms per liter near Gauteng’s wastewater plants since 2020, threatening 7.1 million HIV-positive citizens.
The ANC’s claim of “harmless” traces masks alarming health risks and ecological damage, spotlighting water insecurity and eroding trust under its failing leadership.
The WRC’s “Evaluating The Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems” and North-West University’s “Quantification, Fate and Hazard Assessment of HIV-ARVs” confirm ARVs in potable water, with hazard quotients (1.7-130) indicating severe health threats, data the ANC buries beneath vague assurances.
The report reveals ecological havoc: bacteriophages and freshwater snails suffer mutations and mortality, yet the government omits this crisis.
Research also indicate incomplete WWTP removal (43%-95%), a flaw the ANC sidesteps while promising future research.
This unfolds as South Africa faces a 2025 water deficit, with the ANC’s inaction amplifying risks. Gauteng and North West residents drink water with undetected ARV metabolites, risking antimicrobial resistance, while fish bioaccumulation threatens.
The ANC’s reliance on outdated treatment systems, despite calls for advanced membranes, reeks of neglect. Why? To protect its crumbling health and environmental record from public outrage.
For South Africans, this means jeopardized health and water scarcity, with the ANC prioritizing optics over action.
Opposition parties demand accountability, but without reform, this toxic legacy will plague a nation betrayed by its government.
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