Tshwane residents say major sewage spills in North Pretoria left unrepaired for months

Residents in parts of North Pretoria say two major sewage spills reported months ago remain unrepaired, prompting complaints about health, smell and city inaction.

Residents report long-standing spills

DA ward candidate councillor and community leader Raymond Ditsi told reporters two separate sewage spills in his area were reported months ago and “still remained unrepaired.”

He described conditions on Ribbon Street as a “disaster” and warned the situation was intolerable for locals: “The smell is very bad and it’s hot. People can’t even open their windows.”

Ditsi identified a second neglected site at Bester Park, between Strydom and Boschoff Roads at The Orchards extension 11, saying the area had been flooded by sewage water.

Complaints without clear response

Ditsi said some residents had filed multiple complaints but received no answers, action or response from the City of Tshwane. He added that drawing up petitions every time officials did not act “was a waste of time.”

“It’s getting worse by the day,” he said.

National comment links spills to failing infrastructure

Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Jack Bloom attributed sewage spills to broken pipes that “had not been maintained for years, as well as failing wastewater treatment plants.”

Bloom cited the Green Drop Report to note a decline in the city’s wastewater treatment performance, saying it “has dropped from 82% in 2013 to 33.8%.” He added that “almost all 16 sewage treatment plants are underperforming or collapsing.”

On legal consequences, Bloom said sewage discharges were a criminal offence and described his department’s approach: “My department first issues directives and resorts to criminal charges after all other interventions are exhausted,” he said.

Farmer reports repeated losses and court action

Hammanskraal farmer Theunis Vogel said he was tired of complaining about sewage spills in the area. He said in May he lost his 11th harvest of maize valued at R250 000.

Vogel said he and others were forced to go to court in March 2023 and in December last year because their water supply had been reduced from seven days a week to four, before another court order restored it to six days.

What residents want

Residents in affected areas have repeatedly raised complaints and are seeking a clear and sustained response from the City of Tshwane to repair the reported spills and address the underlying infrastructure problems.