The metro has slapped a property owner in Jasmyn Street, Silverton, with a contravention notice after it was found that illegal backrooms were built on top of municipal sewer servitude.

In addition, the sewer manhole is blocked and cannot be fully accessed. It has caused sewage spills that flooded several neighbouring yards for weeks.

The owner also connected illegally to the sewer line, which obstructed access to critical infrastructure and contributed to the prolonged blockage and sewage overflow.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said investigations have established that this was the root cause of the problem.
Mashigo confirmed that city teams have since attended to the sewer blockage and that the immediate overflow has been contained.

“While the situation has been stabilised, a permanent resolution is dependent on restoring full access to the sewer infrastructure manhole,” Mashigo said.

He added that enforcement action has now been taken against the property owner.

“To prevent recurrence, the affected property owner has been formally notified, and enforcement processes are underway to ensure the removal of the structures,” he said.

“The TMPD has issued a contravention notice. Once the obstruction is removed, municipal teams will be able to complete the necessary work and fully secure the system.”

Mashigo said the metro is continuing to monitor the area.

“Ongoing preventative measures, including routine maintenance of the sewer network, will be strengthened to minimise the risk of similar incidents in future,” he said.

Community leader Marietjie van Deventer said residents on Jasmyn Avenue and Krisant Street endured sewage spills in their yards for nearly a month.

She said residents were effectively ‘held hostage’ in their homes.

Van Deventer said Silverton is facing a wider challenge of illegal backroom developments, which she claims are placing strain on electricity, water and sanitation services.

She said officials from Tshwane Water and Sanitation, along with the metro and ward councillor Ben Chapman, had visited the area.

“Drains were cleared but will be blocked soon due to illegal sewerage connections. This situation is very sensitive and emotions are tense. Silverton is really in a bad state, and backyards are overcrowded, leading to illegal electricity as well as sewerage and water connections,” she said.

Van Deventer added that repeated illegal building activity, lack of compliance with by-laws, and rapid informal construction are contributing to recurring infrastructure failures in Silverton.

“Then at the end of the day, you get a situation like this and five households flooded with sewerage for weeks on end,” she said.

She also criticised ongoing illegal developments and alleged municipal enforcement gaps, saying residents are frequently confronted with crime, vandalism of electricity infrastructure, poor maintenance of public spaces, and noise disturbances.

Van Deventer said the situation in Silverton has left residents feeling frustrated and unsafe, calling for stricter enforcement of by-laws and improved municipal oversight.

She said the metro could not reach the property owner, so they handed the notice to the brother found at the property.

Chapman said the metro sanitation teams could not have full access to the municipal sewer servitude, which made it difficult for the sewage to be fully repaired.

He said the metro found illegal structures, which are a contravention of building regulations because of being built without approved plans and they are in violation of zoning by-laws.

Chapman confirmed the city slapped the property owner with a notice instructing him to remove the structures so that the manhole can be fully accessed.

“This time around, the weeks-long sewer spills affecting neighbours are not the city’s fault or the sanitation team’s fault, but the blame should be placed on the person building without proper approvals.”

Chapman said the owner has been given time to remove the structures or face the consequences.

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