Millions poured into Emfuleni but residents still wade through sewage

Emfuleni municipality spent nearly R70m on a sewer upgrade project in Boipatong to stop persistent sewage overflows, but residents say wastewater is still flowing through parts of the community and near a school.

The expenditure is part of more than R350m allocated to infrastructure projects in Emfuleni, including about R280m spent on upgrading 40 roads in Boipatong, Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.

This is contained in a written response at the legislature to a question by the DA’s Kingsol Chabalala to Gauteng MEC of transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela.

According to Diale-Tlabela’s response, Mobofa Trading Services received more than R15m for work on Frikkie Meyer Road, while Lembui Consulting Moya Lebowa JV was paid more than R10m for Rossini Road.

In her reply, Diale-Tlabela also states that “all roads have been upgraded and payment made per contract”.

However, photographs from some affected communities show badly damaged roads covered in mud, stagnant water and deep tyre trenches, raising fresh questions over the quality and extent of the work completed.

In a separate legislature response relating to sewer infrastructure near Sekati Street and Lebohang Secondary School in Boipatong, Emfuleni confirmed that more than R69.5m was spent through a Municipal Infrastructure Grant-funded project intended to eliminate “regular sewage overflows”.

The municipality said the project involved constructing a 6.5km replacement sewer line designed to cope with projected demand over 30 years.

The project, carried out by TCT Civils, was described in the response as being at “95% completion”, with work including excavation, pipe laying, backfilling and reinstatement.

Despite the expenditure and official assurances, concerns continue to mount over deteriorating infrastructure conditions in parts of Emfuleni.

Chabalala, DA Gauteng spokesperson for co-operative governance, said the information raised serious concerns about whether residents were receiving value for money.

“Despite this significant investment, the condition of the road remains unacceptable. Large sections are deteriorating, the road is difficult to drive on, and sewer spillages plague the area.

The continued failure of the Emfuleni municipality to address the ongoing sewage crisis has severely affected teaching and learning at the school. The school is regularly flooded with sewage, which flows dangerously close to the kitchen, posing serious health risks to learners and staff.

—  Kingsol Chabalala, DA Gauteng spokesperson for co-operative governance

“These documents create a clear paper trail that shows the scale of money that has been spent, but communities are still living with poor service delivery,” said Chabalala.

“We need transparency on whether these projects were properly completed, whether quality checks were conducted and whether residents truly benefited from the money spent,” he said.

Chabalala said the constant failure is another example of poor project management.

“As well as inadequate oversight and a failure to ensure value for money for taxpayers. Communities should not have to endure substandard infrastructure after millions of rand have been spent on projects intended to improve their quality of life,” he said.

He added that the Lebohang Secondary School is constantly flooded with sewage.

“The continued failure of the Emfuleni municipality to address the ongoing sewage crisis has severely affected teaching and learning at the school. The school is regularly flooded with sewage, which flows dangerously close to the kitchen, posing serious health risks to learners and staff,” he said.

“Infrastructure projects must be properly planned, professionally executed, and subjected to strict quality control measures before contractors are paid.”

Sowetan