Wesbank Sewer Crisis Worsens

GOOD Press Statement by Siyabulela Mamkeli, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor:

The sewer crisis in Wesbank remains unresolved and has significantly deteriorated, despite sustained efforts by GOOD to raise and address these issues since 2019. The last media statement issued by GOOD on this matter was on 07 September 2024.

I am once again addressing the very same crisis, now visibly worse, at the corner of Monticello and Flower Street in Wesbank.

In September 2024, residents resorted to placing one tyre over a sewer main hole in an attempt to suppress the overflow of raw sewage. Today, that same sewer main hole is covered by a pile of approximately ten tyres, a grim and unmistakable illustration of how the City of Cape Town has allowed this crisis to escalate through inaction.

Even more alarming, residents have now been forced to construct a makeshift DIY water gutter, using scrap materials to channel overflowing sewage from inside a private home into the public road. This dangerous improvisation exists alongside sewage already flowing openly in the street, underscoring the complete breakdown of formal sanitation services. No community should ever be driven to engineer its own sewage diversion systems to survive.

This situation reflects a profound failure by the Water and Sanitation Department, under the political leadership of MMC Zahid Badroodien and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Whether due to poor leadership or a lack of political will, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has failed to act decisively to alleviate the suffering of the Wesbank community.

Due to extreme heat, residents were forced to sit outside their homes for relief. In an act of desperation and dignity, community members used vehicles to block the sight of overflowing sewage while attempting to socialise outdoors, but no vehicle can block the overpowering stench caused by years of accumulated sewer debris.

The health consequences are now documented. One resident has produced a medical sick certificate explicitly linking illness to sewer exposure, while her son has been ill for over two weeks as a direct result of ongoing sewer blockages at the corner of Monticello and Flower Street. This situation has crossed from a service delivery failure into a public health emergency.

Since 2019, GOOD has logged service requests, conducted site inspections, engaged City officials and issued public warnings. Yet the City continues to rely on short-term, reactive measures instead of implementing permanent solutions.

The City must immediately:

• Deploy emergency sewer vacuum, jetting and sanitation teams;
• Remove sewage from both private properties and public roads;
• Commission an independent technical assessment of collapsed sewer infrastructure in Wesbank;
• Commit to the permanent replacement of failing sewer pipelines; and
• Allocate a ring-fenced budget for long-term sewer upgrades in working-class communities.

GOOD will continue to expose this neglect and hold the DA-led City of Cape Town politically accountable until permanent, dignified solutions are delivered.

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