Press Statement by Julius Du Toit: DA Councillor in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality
- Residents in Dr Pixley are subjected to inhumane living conditions because of sewage spills.
- The sewer network in this municipality is on the brink of a collapse.
- We have asked the Municipal Manager to work on rectifying this.
13 July 2026
Release: Immediate
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Dr. Pixley Ka Isaka Seme calls on the Municipal Manager, Absalom Ngcobo, to urgently assess and implement a strategy aimed at resolving the sewage crisis in Volkrust, Amersfoort and Daggakraal.
Recently, the DA conducted oversights to these areas and discovered that raw sewage is continuously flowing onto the streets and into rivers, streams and tributaries in the municipality. The influx of raw sewage flowing on all the main roads creates such an unbearable stench.
Residents and certain businesses have been subject to inhumane living conditions with an unbearable odour coming from overflowing sewage. This contaminates the environment and exposes residents to various diseases.
This issue has been ongoing for over two years now and the municipality has failed to implement lasting solutions. Concerningly, several municipal officials have visited these areas after receiving complaints. However, all these oversights have not produced any results.
This goes to show that the municipality’s sanitation service is on a downward spiral. Over the years, it has become clear that the wastewater treatment plant’s capacity no longer meets effluent demand, with sewer only being attended to occasionally. The sewer network in Dr. Pixley has proven to be a constant problem and the municipality is failing to find permanent solutions.
The municipality needs to be cognisant of Sections 151 (1) (i) and (j) of the National Water Act 36 of 1998 which states that no person may unlawfully, and intentionally or negligently commit any act or omission that may either pollute or is likely to affect a water resource.
With this in mind, the DA demands an immediate investigation into the cause and a plan to stop further sewage discharge and remediate the affected areas.
The DA will continue to monitor the situation and engage with relevant authorities to ensure accountability and the protection of our communities. We urge residents to report any further incidents of water contamination to their local DA representatives.
For media enquiries contact:
Julius Du Toit
DA Councillor in Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality
082 574 5192