South Africa: Musina Residents Still Living With Sewage Despite Public Protector Findings

What the report says

Residents of Matswale township in Musina, South Africa, say sewage spills and strong wastewater odors are still affecting daily life, despite a Public Protector finding more than a year ago that local authorities had failed to properly maintain the area’s sewer system. Health-e, republished by AllAfrica, reported that the complaint centered on Matswale Phase 10 in Ward 5 and on problems linked to the Vhembe District Municipality and Musina Local Municipality.

According to the report, the Public Protector found that the municipalities had not dealt effectively with repeated spillages, accumulated waste and the impact on residents’ health and wellbeing. The investigation followed a complaint lodged in May 2024, and later inspections still found raw sewage, bad smells and contaminated runoff after officials said repairs had been made. The findings also said the municipality lacked adequate monitoring and did not have a lasting solution in place.

Residents told Health-e the sewage has been a long-running problem that affects homes, informal food vendors near schools, children, and people growing vegetables along the stream. One municipal spokesperson said Musina’s growing population has put pressure on ageing infrastructure and that parts of the sewer network have been upgraded, with more work planned. He also urged residents not to flush foreign materials into the system.

The case highlights a broader challenge in many South African towns: ageing sanitation infrastructure, limited maintenance, and the slow pace of repairs can leave communities exposed to health and environmental risks even after official findings and orders to act.