WATCH: Raw sewage continues to pollute Moreleta Spruit, no action from metro

Ward 41 Councillor Ben Chapman is exploring alternative avenues to hold the Tshwane metro accountable for its failure to resolve a persistent raw sewage spill into the Moreleta Spruit near Murrayfield, east of Pretoria.

Nearly six months after the issue was first reported on December 30, the spill remains unabated, leaving residents frustrated and outraged by the metro’s ongoing inaction despite repeated promises of intervention.

The metro only officially acknowledged the problem in March this year, after a site visit revealed that the embankment supporting a critical sewage pipe had been washed away, causing untreated sewage to leak directly into the waterway.

However, no visible remedial work has taken place since then, raising serious concerns about the metro’s urgency in addressing what has become both a public health hazard and an environmental crisis.

Despite environmental experts alleging that the municipality could be in hot water for turning a blind eye to the environmental crisis, the issue continues six months in.

Chapman visited the site on July 12 and discovered that the pipe was still polluting the spruit.

“We are looking at roping in the civil organisation AfriForum, and we hope to lay a charge with the public protector for environmental degradation by Tshwane.”

He said, since December 30 to date, nothing has been done to fix or to stop the pollution of the river and that this is a serious crisis.

“Unfortunately, the municipality failed to take preventive measures, and the pipe subsequently collapsed, resulting in the continuous spillage of raw sewage into the spruit,” said Chapman.

“It is unacceptable for any government to allow the contamination of natural resources,” he said.

He warned that the ongoing pollution is having a devastating impact on aquatic life and the broader ecosystem of the Moreleta Spruit, which flows through large parts of the city.

Chapman said they will push ahead to get government bodies and community safety bodies to engage the metro.

The metro acknowledged the continued sewage spillage into the Moreleta Spruit and said it remains committed to resolving the matter.

Metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, said a temporary pipe was previously installed to redirect the flow. However, persistent rainfall and the worsening erosion of the river embankment caused the pipe to be washed away, rendering the intervention ineffective.

“Since then, conditions along the embankment have deteriorated significantly, making it impossible to install a temporary support structure at this stage,” Mashigo explained.

He said the city is exploring more sustainable measures, including the reinforcement of the embankment using rock structures.

“This approach aims to stabilise the area and allow for the secure installation of a new sewage pipeline.”

He said an environmental impact assessment has already been conducted, and the city is currently awaiting formal approval to begin rehabilitation work within the affected watercourse.

“The city is fully aware of the environmental implications of ongoing pollution and is taking the necessary legal and procedural steps to comply with environmental legislation,” stated Mashigo.

Mashigo further said the city is committed to strengthening vulnerable riverbanks throughout Tshwane to prevent similar infrastructure failures in the future.

“A contractor has been appointed to undertake the repair and reconstruction work. However, all work remains pending until final authorisation is received from the Department of Water and Sanitation.”

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.