Raw sewage forces Khayelitsha families to abandon shacks

A blockage in the main sewer line has caused sewage to flow through streets and into homes in Khayelitsha and Makhaza. Photos: Vincent Lali

Families living in shacks between Khayelitsha and Makhaza have had to endure raw sewage flowing through the streets and into their homes for the past two weeks.

According to the City of Cape Town, the cause of the problem is a blockage in the main sewer line. Emergency contractors are excavating to reach the blockage, which is five metres below ground, and using pumps to contain the overflow.

Affected residents from Wetland informal settlement protested on Baden Powell Road on Tuesday morning. When GroundUp visited an informal settlement in Town Two last week, Phumeza Mazobotshwana and her son were trying to divert the water flowing into their shack.

“Today, I have come to collect my dishes, which are inside a cupboard. It is water-logged from standing in the water, so I want to take the dishes out before it crumbles and collapses,” she said.

Mazobotshwana said sewage entered her shack two weeks ago, soaking her wardrobe and clothes. “I washed the clothes, but they still smell of faeces,” she said. She has since moved in with her sister nearby.

“I can’t stay in that shack anymore. I must take it apart and rebuild it,” she said. She said she wanted the City to provide building materials.

Phumeza Mazobotshwana has had sewage in front of her house for two weeks.

Bongiwe Bonkolo said stagnant water seeps in between her shacks’ zinc sheets. Her son has piled sand against the walls inside two rooms.

“Because of the dirty water, I sleep on a chair now,” she said. “I can’t bear the smell. I battle to fall asleep because I fear the water may engulf my shack.”

Her grandchildren are staying with relatives. “They are too young to be able to jump over the dirty water. It’s like a river,” she said.

Mayco member for human settlements Carl Pophaim said teams are working to “address the underlying causes and restore normal services as soon as possible”.

Building materials would not be provided as these are reserved for “fires, floods, or other qualifying emergencies”.

Mayco member for finance and acting member for water and sanitation Siseko Mbandezi said residents can apply for a payout through the municipal Insurance Claims Section.

Mbandezi said informal structures built over manholes have made it difficult for contractors to reach and repair the damaged section.

A City-appointed contractor is busy excavating to reach the blocked sewer mainline. Pumps are being used to manage the overflow.

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