‘We’re Living in a Toilet’: Pretoria West Residents Despair as Raw Sewage Floods Homes for Months

‘We’re Living in a Toilet’: Pretoria West Residents Despair as Raw Sewage Floods Homes for Months

In a quiet corner of Booysens, Pretoria West, a foul and persistent river of raw sewage is flowing through backyards and down streets, turning homes into islands of neglect and despair. For months, residents like Magriet Breedt have been pleading for help, only to be passed between municipal departments as the health hazard grows.

“I am in a very desperate situation and have tried everything, but the sewage keeps running into my yard and that of my neighbours,” Breedt says, the frustration evident in her voice. What began as a trickle last November has become a stagnant, stinking pond at her back door.

A Health Crisis and a Heartbreak

The problem is more than just a foul smell. With summer rains on the horizon, residents fear the contaminated water will seep into their homes, bringing with it the risk of waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid. “Then the sewage does not just overflow; it starts piling up,” Breedt explains.

Her fear is deeply personal. Earlier this year, her beloved Labrador died suddenly. Breedt suspects the playful dog, drawn to the water as Labradors are, contracted a fatal illness from the toxic sludge. “It was difficult to keep her out of it because Labradors love water,” she recalls, her loss compounding the daily distress.

A Bureaucratic Runaround

Breedt’s attempts to get help have led nowhere. She started reporting the issue in February. The municipality directed her to the provincial health department, who promised a meeting with the city. That was the last she heard.

“I sent an e-mail and they said it was handed over to the head office. But now there is much more sewage,” she says. Her experience is not unique. Down the road, resident James Bratt reports the same infuriating runaround. “We have contacted the city about this multiple times. We have drawn up a petition. We wrote letters and the city said it wasn’t their problem,” he said.

Some neighbours claim the overflow has been a silent crisis for as long as four years. Bratt suspects the root cause is illegal building on nearby wetlands, overloading and damaging the drainage systems.

A City Silent as the Stench Rises

Faced with a clear public health emergency, the City of Tshwane has chosen silence. Despite repeated inquiries from journalists, the municipality has provided no explanation, no timeline for repairs, and no acknowledgement of the residents’ suffering.

The inaction speaks volumes, leaving the community of Booysens feeling utterly abandoned. They are left to watch helplessly as the sewage rises, a visible symbol of a government failing in its most basic duties. For now, the only thing flowing freely in this part of Pretoria West is the raw waste, and the deep-seated anger of a community left to fend for itself.

{Source: The Citizen}

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