Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here and Afrikaans here by Leanne De Jager MPL
- Thatchfield Estate residents have complained for years about the smell caused by sewage flowing into the Riet River.
- The DA calls on City of Tshwane to investigate and repair the source of the sewage.
- The litter and sewage pose a risk to residents’ health.
Residents in Thatchfield Estate in Centurion, Tshwane have complained for years about the smell and environmental damage caused by sewage entering the Riet River. The litter and sewage create health risks for residents, aquatic life, and the surrounding environment.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the City of Tshwane to immediately investigate and repair the source of sewage entering the Riet River. The city must:
- Implement a full clean-up of litter and debris along the riverbanks.
- Install litter traps at key locations along the river to collect waste before it flows downstream.
- Commit to a regular, scheduled maintenance programme for the river, rather than reactive clean-ups following complaints. Roll out a public education campaign in surrounding communities on the environmental and health risks of littering near waterways.
The current heavy rains have made this failure urgent. Stormwater runoff will wash accumulated litter and pollutants further downstream. Continued sewage inflows risk turning a manageable problem into a full-blown health and environmental hazard for residents who use the river and the green spaces around it.
See photos here, here, here and here.
The sewage entering the river has been reported three times this year and escalated to the City of Tshwane’s Nature Conservation division by the Ward Councillor. However, the city has not acted regarding the situation.
Centurion residents deserve a responsive municipality that acts promptly, rather than one that reacts to crises after being repeatedly warned.
A DA government would prioritise maintaining and cleaning rivers. In addition, we would immediately install litter traps in all rivers where sewage flows unabated into the watercourse.