The DA in Maruleng has written to the Executive Mayor of Mopani District Municipality (MDM), Pule Shayi, to consider a Public-Private-Partnership for managing the Leguaan sewage pump station in Hoedspruit.
This week oversight of the pump station and surrounding areas revealed serious sewage spills into Raptors View Estate, the adjacent Southern Cross School grounds, the dams and the Zandspruit River, which flows into the Blyde River.
It is clear that the pump station is in a state of neglect. Water furrows in Leguaan street are not open and are overgrown; stagnant water is visible in the road and runs down the fence directly to the sewage pump station. The water collects sand and debris which runs into the pump station overflowing the capacity of the current pumps.
It is this clogging of the sewage pipes which results in the sewage spills. (See photos here, here and here)
Raptors View Estate is forced to buy expensive chemicals to rehabilitate the raw sewage pollution as Mopani District consistently refuse to rehabilitate the area or pay for the rehabilitation.
This is not the first time that MDM failed to effectively manage pump station to prevent raw sewage pollution; there were large sewage spills in September 2023 and in 2024 which continues to endanger people’s health and pollute the environment on an unprecedented scale. This is not only criminal, but also a violation of residents’ human rights to live in a clean environment.
A Public Private Partnership will benefit all parties; effective management of the pump station, to investigate and negate the challenges, repair and upgrade the station to prevent future sewage spills which pose a health hazard to residents and pollute the Blyde River which is one of our pristine rivers.