IN CONVERSATION WITH KINGSOL CHABALALA
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"Emfuleni Drowning in Sewage" series, we turn our focus to Sebokeng — once a vibrant suburban hub, now engulfed by sewage and despair. What was once a proud community has been overwhelmed by human waste, with the stench of decay clinging to the air and creeping into every corner of daily life.
Here, families endure a relentless nightmare, their pleas for intervention falling on deaf ears. While the rest of South Africa marked Freedom Day, Sebokeng’s residents are left feeling anything but free. Their hopes are fading, their health is deteriorating, and their dignity is being eroded with each new wave of sewage.
Sebokeng Zone 10 Extension 2, once full of quiet routines and family life, is now unrecognizable. Every step squelches underfoot as raw sewage soaks the ground. Grandmothers spend their days hauling bucket after bucket of waste from their drains — sometimes eight or more — simply to make their homes somewhat livable. Children have been sent to live with relatives, as parents fear the invisible dangers of bacteria, disease, and worsening despair.
More unbearable than the stench is the deafening silence from those responsible for fixing the crisis. This is no longer just a sanitation issue — it’s a human rights violation.
Mamotse Mofokeng, a longtime resident of Zone 10 Extension 2, shared the heartbreaking transformation of her home.
“My yard used to be my sanctuary, a place to watch my grandchildren play. Now, it’s flooded with sewage and floating sanitary pads. I can’t even step outside without feeling sick,” she said.
Fearful for their health, Mofokeng had to send her grandchildren away. She herself has been battling a persistent cough since the sewage nightmare began in late 2024 — a condition that continues to worsen.
Desperate for answers, Mofokeng and several others visited the Emfuleni Municipality offices to raise their concerns. Yet they were met only with disappointment — the mayor was unavailable, and the officials who did respond offered no solutions.
“The municipal workers have been to my house twice, but all they did was look around and leave. Nothing was done. We are left to suffer in silence,” she said.
Another resident, John Mofokeng, echoed her frustration. Despite repeatedly reporting the issue to the municipality, he says the response has been empty promises and no action.
“They came, looked at the manhole in my yard, and left. Since then, we’ve been left cleaning human waste from the drain outside our kitchen every second day. The stench is so bad, we can’t even open our windows or eat our meals in peace,” he said.
Residents recall that their ordeal began in October 2024. What started as a minor inconvenience has now exploded into a daily horror, trapping families inside their own contaminated homes.
Kingsol Chabalala, the DA’s constituency head for Emfuleni North, sharply criticised the municipality, saying it has "nothing positive or inspiring" to offer its people.
“Emfuleni Municipality has utterly failed to deliver basic services like water, electricity, sanitation, and road maintenance — despite residents paying for them with their hard-earned money,” Chabalala said.
He painted a bleak picture of a municipality riddled with potholes and sewage, where residents live in inhumane and unsanitary conditions — all while municipal officials claim they are making progress.
“This is an insult to residents still using pit toilets 31 years into democracy," he added.
Chabalala noted that despite the municipality spending over R200 million on supposed sewage repairs, the crisis continues to spiral out of control. He accused the municipality of systemic corruption, saying that funds meant for the people have been squandered, while Premier Panyaza Lesufi turns a blind eye.
“We will not stop exposing the corruption, mismanagement, and financial abuse that have brought this municipality to its knees,” Chabalala vowed.
Instead of apologising or fixing the worsening crisis, he said, the municipality remains defen
Here, families endure a relentless nightmare, their pleas for intervention falling on deaf ears. While the rest of South Africa marked Freedom Day, Sebokeng’s residents are left feeling anything but free. Their hopes are fading, their health is deteriorating, and their dignity is being eroded with each new wave of sewage.
Sebokeng Zone 10 Extension 2, once full of quiet routines and family life, is now unrecognizable. Every step squelches underfoot as raw sewage soaks the ground. Grandmothers spend their days hauling bucket after bucket of waste from their drains — sometimes eight or more — simply to make their homes somewhat livable. Children have been sent to live with relatives, as parents fear the invisible dangers of bacteria, disease, and worsening despair.
More unbearable than the stench is the deafening silence from those responsible for fixing the crisis. This is no longer just a sanitation issue — it’s a human rights violation.
Mamotse Mofokeng, a longtime resident of Zone 10 Extension 2, shared the heartbreaking transformation of her home.
“My yard used to be my sanctuary, a place to watch my grandchildren play. Now, it’s flooded with sewage and floating sanitary pads. I can’t even step outside without feeling sick,” she said.
Fearful for their health, Mofokeng had to send her grandchildren away. She herself has been battling a persistent cough since the sewage nightmare began in late 2024 — a condition that continues to worsen.
Desperate for answers, Mofokeng and several others visited the Emfuleni Municipality offices to raise their concerns. Yet they were met only with disappointment — the mayor was unavailable, and the officials who did respond offered no solutions.
“The municipal workers have been to my house twice, but all they did was look around and leave. Nothing was done. We are left to suffer in silence,” she said.
Another resident, John Mofokeng, echoed her frustration. Despite repeatedly reporting the issue to the municipality, he says the response has been empty promises and no action.
“They came, looked at the manhole in my yard, and left. Since then, we’ve been left cleaning human waste from the drain outside our kitchen every second day. The stench is so bad, we can’t even open our windows or eat our meals in peace,” he said.
Residents recall that their ordeal began in October 2024. What started as a minor inconvenience has now exploded into a daily horror, trapping families inside their own contaminated homes.
Kingsol Chabalala, the DA’s constituency head for Emfuleni North, sharply criticised the municipality, saying it has "nothing positive or inspiring" to offer its people.
“Emfuleni Municipality has utterly failed to deliver basic services like water, electricity, sanitation, and road maintenance — despite residents paying for them with their hard-earned money,” Chabalala said.
He painted a bleak picture of a municipality riddled with potholes and sewage, where residents live in inhumane and unsanitary conditions — all while municipal officials claim they are making progress.
“This is an insult to residents still using pit toilets 31 years into democracy," he added.
Chabalala noted that despite the municipality spending over R200 million on supposed sewage repairs, the crisis continues to spiral out of control. He accused the municipality of systemic corruption, saying that funds meant for the people have been squandered, while Premier Panyaza Lesufi turns a blind eye.
“We will not stop exposing the corruption, mismanagement, and financial abuse that have brought this municipality to its knees,” Chabalala vowed.
Instead of apologising or fixing the worsening crisis, he said, the municipality remains defen