Ekurhuleni residents may be living without reliable information about the quality of the air they breathe. In a recent media statement Micheal Waters, DA Constituency Head for Kempton Park, claims that several air quality monitoring stations in Ekurhuleni are non-functional and producing unusable raw data.

According to Waters, this was revealed in a reply to questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to the MEC for Environment, Ewan Botha.

The Democratic Alliance argues that this is not just an administrative oversight, but potentially a constitutional issue. Section 24 of the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing. In addition, the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act requires provincial authorities to monitor air quality, assess risks, and enforce compliance against polluters.

Without validated monitoring data, the DA argues, government cannot accurately warn residents about hazardous pollutants, nor can it effectively act against industries that may be violating emissions standards. Instagram · Twitter