‘There is an environmental crisis unfolding in Gauteng and decisive action is needed from government to arrest it.

‘The central basin upon which Johannesburg sits is filling up with acid mine drainage at the rate of 1 metre a day and unless a decision is taken within the next few weeks we will not have the time to put in place the engineering solution to deal with the impending catastrophe.

‘Already acid mine water is flowing out of the Western Basin at a rate of 6 million litres a day and the treatment works are proving entirely inadequate at treating it with devastating effects on the surrounding environment.

‘In the Eastern Basin, the debacle of Aurora Empowerment Systems' ownership of the Grootvlei mine has led to millions of litres of untreated acid mine water being pumped daily into the surrounding wetland.

‘Serious questions need to be answered as to how a few politically connected individuals could be given the rights to a mine when they did not have the financial resources or experience to take responsibility for its operations.

‘The ID hopes that the impending law suits against these Directors goes ahead and that they are held criminally liable for their negligence in allowing an environmental and human rights disaster to occur there.

‘The ID also calls for action to be taken against the liquidator of the Grootvlei mine who should never have awarded the purchase to Aurora Empowerment Systems without first conducting a proper due diligence on them.

‘The ID believes that it is now time for the Department of Mineral Resources to force mining companies to properly comply with all of their environmental responsibilities.'