UPL Faces Criminal Charges Amid Allegations of Uncontrolled Contaminated Water Flow into Durban River

The UPL conglomerate, fifth largest agrochemical firm globally, faces hefty criminal charges, after watchdog groups accused it of knowingly letting pesticide-contaminated water flow into the Durban River. The charges follow closely on the heels of a written directive dated 18 October from the Department of Water and Sanitation to UPL's regional head, Marcel Dreyer, warning of potential imprisonment for water pollution offences.

Senior water regulation official Colin Zwane expressed worry about how to deal with thousands of litres of polluted water stored by UPL in a makeshift pollution control dam (PCD) near its fire-ravaged warehouse in Cornubia. Merely days after Zwane's cautionary directive, the dam started pouring treated and untreated water into a neighbouring stream during a bout of heavy rains.

This dam had overflowed into the Ohlange River previously, after torrential rain in April 2022, provoking concerns anew on UPL maintaining the dam level too high, thereby risking further pollution overflows.

Community watchdogs from the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) vented their frustrations with UPL's handling of the disaster. In a missive to provincial department official Sabelo Ngcobo, they called for an urgent meeting to address what they deemed "a crisis in the management" of the UPL disaster.

They insisted on transparency in the dissemination of information, stating they will not partake in meetings controlled by UPL. Allegations that some information was being controlled or withheld have also prompted the MSF to call for further investigations into UPL's clean-up and rehabilitation procedures.

In light of UPL's repeated controversy and breach of the water usage laws, the MSF plans to lodge a criminal complaint with the South African Police Service (SAPS). This action showcases the growing public demand for corporations to be held accountable for neglecting environmental safety standards and regulations.