Mahikeng Residents Face 20 Years Of Sewage Spills, Water Woes

Access to water and sanitation is recognised as a fundamental human right, essential for health, dignity and prosperity, according to the United Nations UN Water. But for many in South Africa, this is not the case, as communities endure the daily inconvenience and health hazards of sewage spills .

In Mahikeng, North West, residents face constant sewage spills caused either by government negligence or by some locals tampering with the sewerage system.

The situation highlights the ongoing struggle for basic services and the urgent need for solutions to protect public health and well-being.

The picture is bleak for residents of areas such as Danville in Mahikeng who have sewage spills right on their doorstep,

"For the past 20 years we've been living in conditions such as this, this to me is very inhumane because now waterborne diseases are increasing," one resident laments. Another says, "The sewerage blocks now and then."