Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Graeme Peplar
The DA calls attention to an urgent crisis as untreated sewage continues to flow directly into Swartspruit, ultimately contaminating the Hartbeespoort Dam.
Electricity to the Rietfontein Sewer plant was disconnected, and no timeline for restoring the service has been provided by Madibeng, despite escalating risks to the community and environment.
The sewer network was designed with eight pump stations to channel sewage to the Rietfontein treatment plant. However, without a regular maintenance program, the network now operates in constant crisis mode, with teams rushing from one sewage spill to another to keep the system functional.
The pump station located inside the Meerhof School grounds is particularly vulnerable and should always be priority one. Madibeng has committed to replacing all pumps by March 2025, though no funding plan has been disclosed. Meanwhile, new townships continue to be proclaimed without any plans for sewer network upgrades, further straining the already fragile system.
On 29 October 2024, the City of Tshwane disconnected electricity to the Rietfontein Sewer Plant due to unpaid arrears totaling R2,508,495.80. The DA immediately urged Mayor Maimane and Acting Municipal Manager Phala to engage Tshwane in urgent dialogue and ensure the reconnection of this critical service. Additionally, the DA alerted the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, name, to the severe risk of untreated sewage spilling into Swartspruit, affecting residents in Xanadu. Despite a partial payment made by Madibeng in October, Tshwane requires that 40% of the arrears be cleared before reconnecting the power supply.
In addition, untreated sewage has been running from Afsaal township along Van Der Hoff Road for months, flowing down into streams, while the sewer plant at Sunway Township has been non-functional for years. The sewage that does not find its way into a tributary leading to the dam, seeps into the underground water. This affects all the small holdings on the eastern side of Hartbeespoort, as their only source of water is boreholes.
The DA condemns this ongoing neglect and will not allow Hartbeespoort residents to continue bearing the brunt of administrative failure and will hold Madibeng officials accountable until essential services are restored and maintained for the health and safety of the community.