A Promosa family says they have been living in a nightmare for more than eight years after raw sewage repeatedly flooded their RDP home, forcing them into temporary accommodation and leaving them without answers, support, or accountability from the J.B. Marks Local Municipality.

Moagi Marumo, his wife Matshediso Mthini, and their children have been battling sewage flowing into their home at 2304 Ext 3, Promosa, since 2017. Although the house was originally an RDP unit, Marumo said he invested his pension savings from a previous job to renovate and extend the property to create a dignified home for his family.

“For more than eight years, my family has been trapped in a living hell,” Marumo said. “Raw sewage has ravaged our home, and our pleas for help have fallen on deaf ears.”

According to Moagi, in 2023, municipal officials declared the house uninhabitable and relocated the family to a temporary structure near the Potchefstroom Dam. According to Marumo, they were told the relocation would last no longer than three months and that security would be placed at their Promosa home.

“That never happened,” he said. “The house was never guarded. Everything we owned was stolen. Our furniture, appliances, memories. Our home was vandalised while we were pushed aside.”

The family has now spent nearly three years in what was meant to be short-term accommodation. During this time, Marumo said his wife and children began suffering health problems linked to prolonged exposure to sewage and poor living conditions.

“As the sole breadwinner, I’ve been left to pick up the pieces of a life destroyed by their inaction,” he said. “Our dignity has been shattered. It feels like they are waiting for us to become someone else’s problem.”

Marumo said several meetings were held through the Office of the Public Protector, but he claims the municipality has ignored instructions issued by the watchdog.

“We had several meetings through the Public Protector, but they are ignoring those instructions,” he said. “The mayor and the municipal manager are always out of the office, too busy to sort out our problem.”

On March 25, Mthini addressed the issue during a public meeting at the Ext 7 hall, attended by the mayor and the North West Premier. The family was allegedly promised feedback within two weeks, but Marumo said no response has been received.

“They stood there, they listened, and then they disappeared,” he said. “Not once have they given us answers.”

With elections approaching, Marumo questioned whether political pressure is the only way residents can get help.

“With elections around the corner, will it take a vote to get their attention?” he asked. “We’re not just a statistic. We’re human beings.”

Marumo said he is demanding clear accountability from the municipality. “When will the municipality take responsibility and provide us with a safe home?” he asked. “We have waited long enough.”

At the time of publication, J.B. Marks Local Municipality had not responded to requests for comment.