AfriForum demands action from Matjhabeng after elderly resident’s months long exposure to sewage

AfriForum this week called on the Matjhabeng Local Municipality to urgently investigate sewage problems that have plagued a property in Church Street, Welkom, for several months. The ongoing presence of sewage in the house and yard is seriously affecting the health and dignity of the residents, who include two bedridden elderly people.

According to Karen Joubert, a resident of the property, sewage is pushing up through the toilet and flowing freely through the house. Raw sewage is also accumulating in the yard and, in places, is ankle-deep. According to Joubert, the problem has persisted for months despite numerous calls and urgent pleas to the Matjhabeng Municipality.

“We have two bedridden elderly people who are being forced to live under these inhumane conditions. The sewage regularly pushes up through the toilet, and we have repeatedly asked for help, but no one comes out to resolve the problem,” says Joubert.

According to Joubert, plumbers who were asked to investigate the problem confirmed that the blockage is not in the sewage system on the private property, but in the municipal sewer line serving the property in Church Street.

AfriForum has already submitted several requests to the Municipality but attempts to reach the relevant municipal workers and officials by telephone have so far been unsuccessful, with calls simply no longer being answered.

“This situation is far more than a mere inconvenience. Raw sewage flowing through a yard and home for months poses a serious health and environmental risk – not only to Joubert and the two bedridden elderly residents, but also to the surrounding community and environment,” says Christa Ikking, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Hoogland district.

“It is unacceptable that residents are expected to live among raw sewage while their pleas for help go unanswered. Proper maintenance of municipal sewer infrastructure is not a favour that the Municipality is doing residents. The Municipality has a legal duty to provide proper sanitation services.”

AfriForum therefore demands that the Municipality act immediately to remove the sewage, locate the blockage and carry out the necessary repairs. Should the Municipality continue to fail to meet its legal obligations, AfriForum will take further steps to compel it to act. AfriForum will continue to put pressure on the Municipality until the problem has been properly resolved and the health hazard eliminated.