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<strong>The</strong> Tubb Period (1996 –)<br />
newspaper <strong>The</strong> Sun, saying: ‘<strong>The</strong> impact area is<br />
primarily between Umbogintwini to<br />
Scottburgh, and I have personally seen a vast<br />
improvement in water quality along this whole<br />
coastline that was regularly discoloured by<br />
<strong>Saiccor</strong> effluent� In fact we have experienced<br />
some “Mauritius” type colour�’<br />
It is curious that ‘environmentalists’ react very<br />
strongly to the discolouration of the sea by<br />
<strong>Saiccor</strong> effluent yet are ‘blind’ to the<br />
discolouration by river dirt (the latter is<br />
supposedly ‘natural’)� In a letter to the Mid South<br />
Coast Mail in December 1986, Ted Beesley, in his<br />
personal capacity, lamented the loss of valuable<br />
top soil into the sea, pointing out that in 1985<br />
the Mkomazi River carried some 1,5 million tons<br />
of soil into the sea� This was equivalent to a soil<br />
depth of 0,35 mm across the entire 4 310 square<br />
kilometres of the Mkomazi catchment area� He<br />
asked whether anyone considered this<br />
significant� Since then (by 2002) more than<br />
5 mm have disappeared – and no one yet seems to be concerned�<br />
Once a plan to reduce the effluent discolouration of the sea had<br />
been agreed, the communities surrounding the mill focused their<br />
attention on <strong>Saiccor</strong>’s gas emissions (sulphur dioxide)� As gas<br />
emissions had been an issue since 1986, <strong>Saiccor</strong> emphasised what<br />
had been done over the previous 10 to15 years, which the authorities<br />
appreciated, but the communities ignored�<br />
<strong>The</strong> Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ronnie Kasrils (left), <strong>Sappi</strong><br />
Chairman, Eugene van As (right), and <strong>Sappi</strong> <strong>Saiccor</strong> Managing Director, Alan<br />
Tubb, (centre) unveil the plaque marking the official opening of the <strong>Sappi</strong> <strong>Saiccor</strong><br />
pipeline extension, 9 July 1999� <strong>The</strong> plaque is positioned underneath the railway<br />
bridge at the south bank of the Umkomaas River<br />
177<br />
Construction of the 6,5 km effluent<br />
pipeline, 1998: TOP Barge moving<br />
offshore whilst laying pull wires<br />
BOTTOM Extension of the jetty<br />
after the pipeline stuck in a<br />
sandbank
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