Court victory for Makhanda residents plagued by sewage for years

Ten Makhanda residents have won a major court victory which will compel the Makana municipality to clean up and fix the source of the sewage spills in and around their homes, as well as across the entire city of Makhanda.

Collapsed and inadequate sewage infrastructure has led to disgusting sewage spills across the city, but particularly in the poorer eastern side where residents live with a constant flow of filthy, stinking sewage which pools in the potholed streets, and schools and homes.

But, yesterday ten residents, assisted by the Legal Resources Centre, started a process that will hopefully change all of that.

They are litigating not just on their own behalf, but on behalf of all residents. The first part of the application seeks immediate relief for their own unbearable predicaments.

The second part is aimed at addressing the systemic issues leading to the spills.

They want the high court to compel the municipality and the national and provincial governments to generate a plan, together with a budget, for the upgrade of the collapsed wastewater treatment works in Makana.

The plan will also need to address the upgrade and replacement of old or damaged infrastructure that causes the numerous sewage spills.

While the municipality indicated it would oppose the application, it did not file papers. On Tuesday it sought a last-minute postponement for argument around the second part of the application.

However, the municipality agreed in the meantime to a court order in terms of which it would immediately remedy the problems at the ten residents’ homes.

The order gave the municipality just 30 days to identify all active spills across the city and report on the temporary and permanent steps it intended taking to address these. It must also provide a budget to do so.

Within 60 days of filing this report, it must implement all the necessary measures to prevent and contain all sewage spills in the city.

By Adrienne Carlisle -DispatchLIVE