– Sewage spill remains unattended for over two weeks.
– Pedestrian fell into an open sewage hole.
– DA reports Ga-Segonyana to South African Human Rights Commission.
The Democratic Alliance has reported Ga-Segonyana Municipality to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over its failure to properly address a hazardous sewage spill in Kuruman.
The seriousness of the situation became clear when a motorist reported that a pedestrian attempting to navigate around the spill fell into an open sewage hole and was completely submerged in waste.
The DA visited the site and immediately reported the incident, along with the dangerous road conditions, to the Municipal Manager. Despite this, it took a further week for the road to be closed.
Last week, after the DA also reported the matter to the health inspector of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, the matter was referred to the provincial Department of Water and Sanitation, which deployed the Blue Scorpions. They visited the site last Friday.
While the DA welcomes the swift response from the provincial authorities, Ga-Segonyana Municipality has still failed to take the necessary remedial action more than two weeks after the road was closed. The sewage pool continues to spread across a large section of the dirt road, posing a serious health and safety risk to residents and children attending a school situated less than 100 metres from the spill.
When basic sanitation fails, the consequences extend beyond public health, safety and the dignity of residents. It also makes it harder for local businesses to operate and undermines the conditions needed for communities to attract investment and create jobs.
The DA has reported the incident to the SAHRC and will continue pushing for urgent remedial action until residents’ basic human rights are restored.
Residents deserve functioning sanitation, safe roads and a municipality that delivers basic services and local jobs.