The DA has once again brought the persistent sewage spillages in Electra Park, Kimberley, to the attention of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), as residents continue to be robbed of their dignity and quality of life.
In 2019, Electra Park made headlines after several children fell seriously ill as a result of sewage contamination. Among them was two-year-old Shekeena Roos, whose mother, Landi Roos, was left with crippling medical expenses after raw sewage engulfed their yard.
At the time, deteriorating sewerage infrastructure caused extensive sewage overflows throughout the area. Sol Plaatje Municipality responded by intermittently unblocking drains, providing only temporary relief while failing to address the underlying cause of the problem. At the centre of the controversy was a Memorandum of Understanding between the municipality and Transnet, which created uncertainty over which party was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the respective pump station. This delayed meaningful intervention.
Seven years later, little has changed and residents continue to bear the consequences.
At House 41 in Electra Park, every member of the Roos family continues to suffer the effects of methane gas emanating from the overflowing sewerage. They are forced to wear masks inside their own home, while grandmother Lena Roos now sleeps in the living room because the stench in the bedroom has become unbearable.
The DA recently accompanied a representative of the SAHRC to the affected property. Following the visit, the SAHRC representative expressed the view that the responsibility for addressing the sewage spill rests squarely with Sol Plaatje Municipality.
The DA hopes that the renewed involvement of the SAHRC will finally compel Sol Plaatje to fulfil its constitutional and service delivery obligations by addressing the serious human rights violations caused by years of unchecked sewage spills.
No person should be forced to endure raw sewage in and around their home while the municipality delays decisive action. The DA will continue to hold Sol Plaatje Municipality accountable until every resident’s dignity is restored and this crisis is finally resolved.