A severe sanitation crisis has gripped the Makhaza area in Khayelitsha for more than ten days, with raw sewage flooding homes, inundating streets, and forcing families from their residences. The situation has escalated into a public health emergency, leaving residents feeling abandoned and at risk.
The disaster stems from a critical bulk sewer line that runs through the nearby SST informal settlement. According to the City of Cape Town, homes in SST have been constructed directly on top of aging sewer infrastructure, causing immense pressure and repeated collapses. The City’s spokesperson confirmed the line has failed, creating at least ten sinkholes and stalling a major sewer upgrade project.
“This is resulting in sewer blockages and sewer overflows in other parts of the community, which obviously has a public health impact,” the City spokesperson said. “We are treating this as an emergency.”
The spokesperson detailed that teams are conducting “over pumping” to reduce sewage volume in the network, but the fundamental solution requires relocating residents living atop the compromised pipes. The Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements departments are collaborating to identify alternative relocation sites, with involvement from the Public Protector’s office and the South African Human Rights Commission.
On the ground in Makhaza, the human toll is mounting. Residents report wading through ankle-deep wastewater, with a pervasive stench filling the air. The contaminated water has seeped deep into homes, destroying groceries, furniture, and clothing. Some families have been displaced, while others remain in hazardous conditions, citing that prolonged exposure is already causing illness.
With the festive season underway, affected residents are now appealing for donations as they face the loss of their possessions and the health risks posed by the ongoing disaster. The City maintains that resolving the underlying crisis in SST is urgent to stop the overflows, but for Makhaza residents, each day brings deeper hardship and exposure to the filthy floodwaters.