Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) has denied that its workers were illegally dumping sewage into a stormwater drain at the corner of Windsor Street and Main Reef Road in Luipaardsvlei on September 18, after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

The footage, recorded by resident Neels Jooste, shows a municipal sewage truck allegedly discharging waste into the drain. Jooste said he contacted nearby safety officer Wayne Marais, and together they confronted the workers.

“We asked why they were doing this and to identify themselves, but they did not,” Jooste said.

He added that the issue extends beyond the smell and environmental impact, claiming it also poses a risk to motorists.

“The sewage makes weeds and plants grow there, which can block visibility for motorists on the busy road and cause crashes,” he explained.

Marais said this was not the first time he had witnessed such dumping.

@caxton.jhbwest Mogale City Local Municipality workers were caught on video allegedly dumping sewage on the corner of Windsor Street and Main Reef Road. #servicedelivery #fyp #dumping #mogalecity ♬ original sound – Caxton JHB West 

“One truck was dumping sewage while another rinsed it away with water,” he alleged.

The Krugersdorp News arrived at the scene within an hour of the video circulating, joined by councillor Lourens Gouws, with a strong sewage odour still present. Gouws described the act as illegal dumping, pointing out that municipal trucks have designated disposal sites.

“The amount of sewage looked like a full truckload. I suspect they did this because it is easier than taking it to a designated site,” Gouws said.

MCLM communications officer Refilwe Mahlangu later responded to the allegations, acknowledging the social media footage. She said a sewer blockage had been reported on Main Reef Road and was attended to by Water Services Wastewater Network Maintenance personnel.

“A vacuum tanker was used to empty the sewer manhole to enable unblocking of the pipeline, which had been obstructed by sand and rocks. During this process, rock debris caused a blockage in the tanker’s suction pipe. To clear it, the pipe was temporarily removed from the manhole, at which point the footage was recorded,” Mahlangu explained.

She stressed that no effluent was discharged from the tanker.

“The overflow visible in the video originated from upstream of the blocked line, not from the municipal vehicle. Once the obstruction was removed, the team continued with the unblocking process as per standard procedure. The municipality assures residents that strict protocols are followed during wastewater maintenance operations and that no deliberate or negligent discharge took place in this instance,” she said.