Streets of sewage and a ray of light in Krugersdorp, with Sikonathi Mantshantsha

In 2024, News24’s Waste Land exposé uncovered the source of the Gauteng West Rand’s unbearable smell: the old Percy Stewart Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was illegally dumping untreated, heavily polluted water into the Blougatspruit, which feeds into the Hartbeespoort Dam downstream. This raw sewage, seeping into crucial water sources, farms and homes, threatened the livelihoods of everyone around these crucial river conduits. After News24’s reporting and Mogale City pumping millions of rands into its resuscitation, many of the problems have been solved. However, as investigative journalist Sikonathi Mantshantsha reports the daily reality in the nearby Kagiso township remains grim as the residents live with streams of human excrement outside their front doors. Later in the show, we cross to the News24 Sports desk for editor Lloyd Burnard’s take on the Proteas challenge for the ICC World Test Championship against the Aussies at Lord’s. We also explore which of the cheapest cars in South Africa are not produced in China or India.  You can now send a short voice note of 15 to 20 seconds with your questions or thoughts on this episode to our official The Lead WhatsApp line, that’s: +27 72 562 3179. Mail your comments to thelead@24.com. Editions drop Monday through Thursday at 19:00 on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.