A sewer infrastructure project intended to resolve long-standing sanitation issues in Kempton Park has now been labelled a “failed project” by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), as residents continue to endure ongoing sewage spills.
This follows a Kempton Express report published on November 27, 2025, which highlighted delays in the Bonaero Park to Pomona pump station project, initially aimed at improving sanitation in Kempton Park, Bonaero Park and Pomona. At the time, the project remained incomplete despite significant expenditure.
According to OUTA’s latest statement, released at the end of March, the situation has not improved.
The organisation’s investigation alleges that millions of rands have been spent without delivering a functional sewer pipeline, leaving residents exposed to worsening environmental and health risks.
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The project, initially budgeted at R25 million and later revised to more than R39 million, was meant to address persistent sewer failures affecting Bonaero Park, Pomona, Serengeti and surrounding areas.
However, years after intervention by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation in February 2021, the infrastructure remains incomplete.
Residents in low-lying areas, including Begonia Street, continue to report raw sewage flooding their properties, sometimes for days at a time. Wastewater has also been seen flowing into nearby wetlands, raising serious environmental concerns.
OUTA’s investigation points to several early warning signs that were not acted upon. These include delays in construction, challenging site conditions such as waterlogged soil, and a lack of effective project management.
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By July 2023, consulting engineers had already recommended that the contractor be terminated due to non-performance, citing failure to attend meetings, lack of a credible work programme, and minimal progress on site. Despite this, the contractor remained in place, and the project failed to recover.
A progress report from the same period indicated that the project had reached only 3% completion, with trench excavation repeatedly disrupted by underground water and collapsing soil.
OUTA has also raised concerns about financial transparency, stating that more than R6 million may have been paid, while full payment records have not been disclosed.
The organisation further questioned aspects of the procurement process, including the absence of a compulsory briefing session and delays in the tender award despite the urgency of the project.
The environmental impact is also under scrutiny, with the sewer route cutting through the Blaaupan and Bonaero Park wetlands, areas already affected by ongoing sewage pollution.
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The incomplete infrastructure has compounded the damage, with no clear rehabilitation efforts in place.
“This is not a delayed project, it is a failed one,” said Rudie Heyneke, senior project manager at OUTA.
“Millions have been spent, the work has not been delivered, and residents are left dealing with sewage in their homes and streets. That is a complete breakdown of accountability.”
Heyneke added that the situation reflects broader failures in planning, oversight and response.
“It is not abstract; it is people living with sewage in their homes while the city remains silent.”
OUTA has called on the City of Ekurhuleni to release full payment records, explain why a non-performing contractor was retained, and provide a clear, time-bound plan to complete the project and rehabilitate the affected environment.
The organisation has also indicated that it will escalate the matter to the Auditor-General for further scrutiny.
The investigation further suggests that the case may not be isolated, pointing to a potential pattern in procurement practices that could form part of a broader probe.
Despite requests for comment, the City of Ekurhuleni had not responded to Kempton Express.
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Similarly, the contractor was approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.
As the situation continues, residents remain caught in the middle, dealing with the daily realities of sewage spills while awaiting accountability and a resolution to a project that was meant to improve their quality of life.
