Sebokeng, once a vibrant suburban area, faces a severe sewage crisis that has devastated the community’s health and dignity. Residents' pleas for help remain unheard as basic services fail. Sebokeng, once a vibrant suburban area, faces a severe sewage crisis that has devastated the community’s health and dignity. Residents' pleas for help remain unheard as basic services fail.
Image: Picture: Masabata Mkwananzi
In part two of The Star’s “Emfuleni Drowning in Sewage” series, we take a closer look at Sebokeng, a once-thriving suburban area now overwhelmed by sewage. What was once a vibrant community has been consumed by filth, with the stench of human waste hanging heavy in the air and seeping into every corner of their yards.
Families in this area continue to endure an unrelenting nightmare, their desperate calls for help falling on deaf ears. As South Africa celebrated Freedom Day, these residents find no freedom — their hope is dwindling, their health is worsening, and with every new spillage, their dignity is being stripped away.
Once a place of quiet routines and family life, Sebokeng Zone 10 Extension 2 has become unrecognisable. The ground squelches beneath every step, soaked in raw sewage. Grandmothers spend their days removing bucket after bucket — sometimes eight at a time — from their drains, just to make their yards look somewhat livable. Children have been sent away to stay with relatives, as parents fear the invisible dangers that seep from every corner — bacteria, disease, and despair.
But what lingers more than the stench is the silence from those meant to serve, to fix, to care. This is no longer just about sewage. This is about the right to live with dignity.
Mamotse Mofokeng, a resident of Zone 10 Extension 2, shared the heartbreaking reality she faces in one of the worst-affected homes. She explained that her yard, once a place of enjoyment, is now a source of despair. The overwhelming presence of sewage has made it impossible for her to sit outside or watch her grandchildren play, as the area has been completely consumed by filth.
“My yard used to be a place where I could relax and watch my grandchildren play, but now it's overwhelmed by sewage and human waste. Sanitary pads float around, and it's unbearable. I can't even step outside without feeling sick.”
She added, "I had to send my grandchildren away because I’m afraid they’ll get sick, just like I have. I’ve been battling this cough since last year, about a month after we started dealing with the nightmare of sewage, and it’s not getting any better."
Mofokeng added that she, along with a few other residents, visited the Emfuleni Municipality offices to voice their concerns.
However, they were met with disappointment when they found the mayor unavailable. Despite this, they made sure to raise the urgent issue of the ongoing sewage problem that continues to flood their homes, but their cries for help seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“The municipality and municipal workers know about our situation, yet they are not doing anything about it. The municipal workers came to my house twice, but both times they did nothing. They came, had a look, and then left, leaving us to suffer in silence,’’ she added.
Another resident, John Mofokeng, expressed his frustration, saying he had reported the sewage issue to the municipality several times.
Despite this, municipal workers visited his property, but nothing was done to resolve the problem. "We have a manhole in the yard, they came but did nothing. I’ve been chasing them ever since," Mofekeng said, revealing his ongoing efforts to get the issue addressed, but without any progress.
'Every day, we are cleaning human waste in the drain outside our kitchen.' 'Every day, we are cleaning human waste in the drain outside our kitchen.'
Image: Picture: Masabata Mkwananzi
“Every day, we are cleaning human waste in the drain outside our kitchen. Every second day, we’re cleaning waste, and the stench is terrible. We can’t even open the windows or doors for fresh air, let alone enjoy our food in peace,” he added, describing the unbearable conditions he and his family have to endure.
The residents of Extension 2 tearfully recount that their nightmare with sewage began in October 2024, and since then, it has only grown worse. What started as a small problem has now become a daily struggle, leaving them feeling trapped in their own homes, with no escape from the stench and health hazards that surround them. Their hope is fading, and their once-thriving community now feels suffocated by filth and despair.
Kingsol Chabalala, the DA's constituency head for Emfuleni North, stated that there is nothing positive or inspiring to say about the Emfuleni Local Municipality. He criticised the municipality for failing dismally to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation, and road repairs, despite residents faithfully paying for these utilities with their hard-earned money.
“This municipality must be embarrassed and assessing whether they are delivering on its core mandate. Residents are suffering, yet they continue to squander money meant for them, thus stealing from the poor.
“Emfuleni is littered with potholes, raw sewage flowing inside the residents' yards and all over the streets. Residents are living in inhumane and unsanitary conditions, yet the municipality claims that they are doing good for its residents. This is an insult to the struggling residents of Evaton, who some are still using pit toilets in 31 years of democracy.”
Chabalala emphasised that residents are falling ill because the municipality has failed to address the ongoing sewer leaks, posing a severe health and environmental risk. Despite spending over R200 million to fix some leaks, there is little to show for it, and the situation continues to worsen.
He further stated that the municipality continues to exploit the poor, with Premier Lesufi turning a blind eye to the corruption unfolding under his watch. "We will not stop exposing the corruption, mismanagement, and financial abuse that have brought this municipality to its knees," he vowed.
“Instead of apologising to the residents of Emfuleni who have suffered enough and resulted in people getting sick while others dying, this municipality is defensive, which is a clear indication that they don’t care about the lives of residents what matters to them is lining their pockets by continuing to loot from the state coffers. It’s high time that they admit to the residents of Emfuleni that they have failed and allow other parties with service delivery at heart to take over,” Chabalala concluded.
The Star spoke to the councillor of Ward 31, who had promised to meet with us, but nothing materialised. When we attempted to contact her, the phone just rang and went unanswered.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za