Hoedspruit faces disaster over water and sewage failures
The DA warns of a looming disaster in Hoedspruit as bulk water and sewage infrastructure nears collapse, urging urgent action.
HOEDSPRUIT – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has issued a stark warning to Maruleng Local and Mopani District municipalities over Hoedspruit’s failing bulk water and sewage infrastructure, urging immediate engagement with residents and businesses to prevent a looming disaster.
Hoedspruit has long relied on the Hoedspruit Air Force Base for bulk water and sewage services. These facilities were never designed for a growing civilian population and are now running at 150% of capacity, with raw sewage spilling onto neighbouring farms and residential areas.
Residents near the Leguaan sewage pump station report repeated overflows, raising health and environmental concerns.
“Residents pay for water and sewage services, yet the municipality does not even pay the Defence Force for bulk supply,” said Marie Helm, MPL, DA constituency head for Maruleng. “Meanwhile, infrastructure upgrades have been delayed or poorly managed, putting Hoedspruit on the brink of collapse.”
A R28 million Mopani District Municipality (MDM) project to improve bulk water supply remains incomplete. The newly constructed pipeline is reportedly non-functional, while approvals for new developments often exclude connections to existing bulk infrastructure.
The crisis prompted the DA to open a criminal case against MDM in October 2023, after a sewage spill contaminated the Zandspruit River and impacted schools and estates.
Residents have proposed public-private partnerships to manage failing sewage systems more effectively. Raptors View Estate residents, among others, have stressed that proper infrastructure management is critical to safeguard health, the environment, and local development.
MDM spokesperson Odas Ngobeni confirmed that engagement with the Department of Public Works and the SANDF to take over the operation and maintenance of the Hoedspruit Water Treatment Works is not yet finalised.
“The ultimate plan is to upgrade the plant by 5 megalitres to reach at least 10.3 megalitres capacity,” Ngobeni said.
He also provided an update on the Hoedspruit Bulk Water Supply Project, which was stalled due to land availability challenges.
“We were due to construct a 5.2 megalitre reservoir to help with the increased water supply in town. The project was funded through Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), and the raw water bulk line from the Blyde River is complete. The local municipality has now made land available. We need to proceed with the project (building of the reservoir) and will resume construction once funding is secured.”
