Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Rudi Maartens and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Lebohang Mohlamme.
The DA in Mangaung will continue to pursue accountability by calling for disciplinary action against responsible officials, monitoring the implementation of Council-approved reforms, and holding the Mangaung Metro accountable for its continued failure to provide basic water and sewerage services.
This ongoing neglect is exposing residents to serious health risks, polluting rivers, violating constitutional rights, and causing immense hardship for communities across Mangaung.
The latest tragedy, hundreds of dead catfish found floating in the Renosterspruit on Monday morning, captured in a video that quickly spread across social media – is undeniable evidence of the scale of the crisis and the danger facing our communities.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has already issued compliance notices to the Metro’s Executive Management and the Head of Technical Services. This action confirms that Mangaung’s wastewater treatment plants and management are not only failing but are also endangering the health of residents and destroying the ecological balance of our rivers.
These developments follow shortly after the DA called for the City Manager, Mr Sello More, to face disciplinary charges, and shortly after the Auditor-General served him with a debt letter. The message is clear: Mangaung’s leadership has failed its community.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has found that Mangaung is violating the constitutional rights of its residents, including the rights to human dignity, life, a healthy environment, and children’s rights to safety and education.
In Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu, children are literally forced to jump over streams of sewage to get to school. Residents suffer from respiratory illnesses and are forced to live daily among overflowing sewage, neglected infrastructure and illegal dumping sites.
The Auditor-General further confirmed that the Botshabelo, Sterkwater and Thaba Nchu wastewater treatment works are not functioning and that raw sewage is being discharged directly into the Klein Modder River, Renosterspruit and Sepane River.
This pollution is a blatant violation of the National Water Act and the National Environmental Management Act.
The DA insists that:
- Immediate disciplinary action be taken against the responsible Head of Department and senior managers.
- The Metro demonstrates full compliance with the SAHRC’s recommendations within three months, including the eradication of bucket and pit toilets and the restoration of all sewer networks.
- The Water and Sanitation Reform Strategy, which has already been approved by Council, should be implemented without delay.
The residents of Mangaung deserve better.
Some residents are already seeking legal opinions on how to protect their constitutional rights. This is a clear indication that the community is no longer willing to accept this failure.
We can no longer stand by while basic human rights are trampled and our rivers and communities are destroyed.
This crisis is not merely an administrative failure; it is a human rights scandal that demands immediate and decisive action.