Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Arista Annandale
The Democratic Alliance (DA), along with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), conducted an oversight inspection on April 2, 2025, at the Danville circle, where sewage from the Bophelong Psychiatric Hospital spills into nearby properties during heavy rains.
Since our previous visit to the site in December 2024, little has been done to alleviate residents from the ongoing flooding of sewage into their homes. The sewage pump is still not functioning, and the stormwater pipe is blocked again. (See picture.)
Upon our request, the Mahikeng Local Municipality dug a trench as a temporary solution to the problem, but this trench is no longer sufficient. (See picture.)
According to residents, the problem has been ongoing since the construction of the new hospital and the upgrading of the Nelson Mandela Highway around 2016. The stormwater system was not upgraded during this process. When it rains, the sewage flows over the Danville circle into properties on the other side of the road. (See pictures here and here.)
The DA awaits the SAHRC’s report on the matter and will once again write to the Department of Health, requesting that they repair the sewage pump and again request the municipality to deepen the trench and unclog the stormwater pipes.
The said entities’ brazen unwillingness to swiftly address this issue speaks volumes of their indifference towards the plight of residents and casts further doubt on the ANC-led government’s ability to solve the overall service delivery crisis communities are faced with.