WATCH | South coast town's raw sewage spills down the streets, into the river and into the ocean

The Ugu district municipality has been blamed for dragging its feet to resolve the malfunctioning of pump stations and sewage flowing into rivers.

Port Shepstone residents said they have been calling on the South Coast municipality for months to fix their pump stations, which are located next to the rivers. 

Residents told TimesLIVE the sewage spilling into and contaminating the Umzimkhulu River was an ecological disaster and needed urgent action.

“The situation is bad, and the municipality is not helpful and is dragging its feet to resolve the constant breakdown of infrastructure in the whole district. One week we don't have water, the next, sewage spills are on every street and corner. Over the past months, sewage has been spilling into the river, and that's not new, but it's getting worse.

“We did bring this to the attention of the municipality, but nothing has been done,” said Albersville Ratepayers Association’s Sal Musa.

Musa said the residents of Albersville who live next to the pump stations, especially pump stations 7 and 8, have been complaining about the smell coming from the sewage. 

Among those impacted by the spills into the river are fishermen at the mouth of the river and those who fish at Umtentweni Beach and Port Shepstone Beach, says Musa.

“I visited the area several times, the situation is bad. We have several reference numbers we got from Ugu, but nothing is being done,” said Musa, expressing his concern for the ecosystem.

The malfunctioning of the pump stations has been, for years, one of the challenges facing the municipality, which has blamed vandalism, theft and ageing infrastructure as the sources of the problem. 

In May 2019, then MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs (EDTEA) Ravi Pillay visited the district after complaints about the pump stations.

Pillay directed the Ugu municipality to act urgently on a sewage spill that polluted the Uvongo River and Uvongo bathing beach.

ActionSA has written to the KZN EDTEA MEC Siboniso Duma, calling for him to urgently intervene in the “sewerage crisis” facing the Ugu district.

In the letter, the party said several cases have been opened with the police against the municipality for pollution of the environment. 

“I am writing to you to urgently request that your office intervenes in the sewerage crisis that has taken hold in the Ugu district municipality. Sewerage has polluted Farmer’s Dam south of Harding, posing a great threat to farmers’ livestock and crops, as well as to human lives. Further, the economic livelihood of farmers in the community has taken a downturn as their livestock has become devalued and unwanted by consumers. Farmers are unable to use water in the area on their farms,” said Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA chairperson.

Mncwango said the water has a strong smell, is visibly contaminated with blue and green contaminants, and is affecting farm animals.

“The fear of possible cholera in the community is very real. I earnestly call on you to engage with the municipality in terms of section 28 of the National Environment Management Act (Nema) to compel the municipality to comply with environmental legislation.

“Section 28(1) of Nema provides that every person who causes, has caused, or may cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment must take reasonable measures to prevent such pollution or degradation from occurring, continuing, or recurring, or, insofar as such harm to the environment is authorised by law or cannot reasonably be avoided or stopped, to minimise and rectify such pollution or degradation of the environment,” said Mncwango.

Ugu district municipality didn't respond to queries.

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