Sanitation
Despite sewerage upgrades, Mogale City still polluting Cradle of Mankind
Tests detect high E. coli levels in water flowing from the Percy Stewart treatment plant into the Blougat Spruit
Text by Seth Thorne. Photos by Ihsaan Haffejee.
News | 3 August 2026
Sewer project leaves Flagstaff without a new school
Residents say officials promised the two developments could coexist
By Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik and Yamkela Ntshongwana
Feature | 3 August 2026
Air and water pollution harming Joburg’s poorest communities
Failing wastewater treatment works, ageing sewage infrastructure, smouldering illegal dumps, industrial and urban runoff and a legacy of mining activities have ruined Joburg’s air and water
Text by Seth Thorne. Photos by Ihsaan Haffejee.
News | 30 July 2026
Elections 2026: Dawid Kruiper Municipality battling water leaks and sewage spills
The Special Investigating Unit is looking into “allegations of serious maladministration” involving 24 contracts at the municipality
By Liezl Human
Feature | 23 July 2026
Streets flooded with raw sewage for months in Motherwell
Blockages and broken pipes are common occurrences
Brief | 23 July 2026
Unpaid contractors block water services depot in Durban
The water and sanitation contractors say they are ignored by eThekwini Municipality
By Joseph Bracken and Tsoanelo Sefoloko
Brief | 20 July 2026
EThekwini municipality owes Durban plumbers hundreds of thousands of rands
One contractor claims the municipality owes for five outstanding invoices totalling R250,000
By Joseph Bracken and Tsoanelo Sefoloko
Brief | 17 July 2026
7 toilets for 1,500 people in this Durban informal settlement
Boxwood Road residents in Kenville say broken toilets and leaking pipes have been left unrepaired for years by the eThekwini Municipality
Brief | 14 July 2026
Taps dry as municipality drowns in R1-billion debt
Residents of the Kai !Garib Local Municipality in the Northern Cape face collapsing services, frequent water interruptions, and potholed roads
By Liezl Human
Feature | 13 July 2026