The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality (CALM) has formally requested the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to conduct an on-site assessment of ongoing sewer overflows affecting residents on Hospital Street in Groenvlei.

According to DA Councillor Litesia van der Walt, the call comes after the SAHRC indicated that the municipality had a maintenance plan in place to resolve the issue. However, Van Der Walt says conditions on the ground contradict those assurances, as raw sewage continues to spill into residential yards and homes.

Severe health risks and environmental concerns

Residents have reportedly endured sewage overflows for months, creating urgent health and sanitation concerns. During a recent oversight visit, one resident reported that sewage had contaminated his borehole, raising critical safety fears regarding household drinking water.

Van der Walt criticized both municipal management and the SAHRC, accusing them of failing the community through poor oversight and shifting accountability.

“Over the past few months, the municipality and the Commission have shown disregard for residents of this area. The Commission failed to thoroughly conduct oversight and hold the municipality accountable for its negligence, while senior municipal officials continue shifting responsibility among themselves as the sewer continues flowing into households,” Van der Walt said.

Misleading claims and rnresolved repairs

The DA also challenged previous statements issued by municipal officials. Last year, the municipality released a media statement announcing it had installed an upgraded manhole and completed repairs along the affected sewer line in Groenvlei, describing the work as a proactive fix.

However, ongoing monitoring by the DA shows the sewage spill remains active.

“We have established that there is nothing proactive about the situation. This shows that the municipality’s statement misled both the public and the media,” Van der Walt added.

Potential constitutional infringement

The party maintains that the failure to fix the infrastructure goes beyond standard service delivery delays and touches on fundamental human rights.

“The municipality’s failure to act constitutes not only a collapse in service delivery but also a violation of Section 24 of the Constitution, which guarantees everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being,” Van der Walt added.

The DA says it will continue tracking conditions on Hospital Street, demanding a permanent resolution from municipal leadership, and urging residents to report ongoing service delivery failures.

CALM spokesperson Thapelo Phetla said he was unaware of the situation but would check with the relevant municipal officials for more information. However, by the time of publication, he had not responded.