Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina has urged churches to refrain from performing rituals and baptisms near the Vaal River due to rising water that can result in them being washed away.
“We are not against any religious rituals or baptisms, but it is very dangerous,” Majodina said during a visit to the Vaal Dam, South of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The visit aimed to assess the dam’s infrastructure after heavy rainfall in the Vaal River catchment.
Majodina, who was joined by her deputy David Mahlobo, called on churches to avoid performing such rituals near the river, especially as Easter services approach.
Her call comes as some churches view rivers as sacred places for rituals, including cleansing, prayer, and connecting with their ancestors.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has also urged residents living within the floodplain of the Vaal River downstream of the Vaal and Bloemhof Dams to evacuate to safer areas.
Heavy inflows into the Vaal Dam led to the opening of the fifth sluice gate on Sunday, and the department has kept all five gates open, maintaining an outflow of 760 cubic meters per second.
The department has warned that additional gates could be opened if inflows increase.
“We want to emphasise that even if it does not rain in certain areas, opening these sluice gates could cause people downstream to be swept away,” Majodina said.
As of Sunday, the Vaal Dam's water storage was at 111.51%, up from 109.3%, due to continuous high inflows.
The Bloemhof Dam’s water level was reported at 116%.
Meanwhile, Mahlobo said that the dam's capacity reached 140% on Wednesday morning.
He explained that the five sluice gates are currently releasing nearly 800,000 litres of water per second into the Vaal River system, which flows downstream to the Vaal River Barrage, managed by Rand Water.
Mahlobo also urged South Africans to stay away from dams and rivers with high water levels and to prioritise safety.
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