The toxic waste is being dumped between St. Helena and South Africa – Photo: Flickr / Helena Vizner
The toxic waste is being dumped between St. Helena and South Africa – Photo: Flickr / Helena Vizner
There is fury amongst opposition politicians this week, after it emerged that a Chinese ship was given government permission to dump its toxic waste off the west coast of South Africa.
Chinese ship ‘allowed to dump toxic waste’ in South African waters
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has officially signed-off on an emergency permit, which would allow the NS Qingdao to dump its reactive cargo between Mzansi and St. Helena Bay.
The ship, which initially turned up at Durban Port while leaking ‘toxic fumes’ last October, was then directed towards the open seas, in order to get rid of its chemical load. Sodium Metabisulphite, Magnesium Nitrate Hexahydrate, and Caustic Calcined Magnesite have all been sent to the bottom of the ocean.
Opposition MPs fume over toxic dumping
The ANC government has insisted that there’s no other option available, and defended their decision by arguing that the toxic waste is too far away to harm anything: It’s being disposed of some 250km from the nearest landmass, and will eventually settle some three kilometres under the surface.
Two DA MPs aren’t satisfied with this explanation, however. Chris Hunsinger and Dave Bryant have both asked the department to present itself to Parliament, and explain why they agreed to this dangerous dumping:
“The DA has noted with concern reports of a large Chinese bulk carrier, the NS Qingdao, that has apparently been given the go-ahead by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to dump at least 1 500 tons of toxic chemicals into the ocean off the fragile St Helena Bay coastline.”
“There are serious concerns as to how the dumped waste will interact with the powerful Benguela current, which could carry it into areas where it may pose a risk to other marine life and humans. The Department must come clean on how this vessel was granted carte blanche to dump large volume of chemicals in SA waters.”
Chris Hunsinger and Dave Bryant
‘Nothing illegal’ about Chinese ship operation
The SA Maritime Safety Authority doesn’t have any particular issue with the permissions granted to the Chinese ship, and stressed that the decision to dump the cargo remains perfectly legal.
“The vessel is currently anchored off St Helena Bay and an emergency dumping permit has been obtained from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to dump the reacting cargo at sea. Approximately 1 500 tonnes of cargo will be dumped 250km from the closest point to land and in excess of 3 000m of water.”
“The dumping is expected to be concluded on 25 March 2022. To date, more than 1 000 tonnes of the cargo has been taken out of the vessel and it is expected that the remaining hotspots will be removed and dumped by 15 March 2022.”
SAMSA statement
