Potchefstroom Residents Take Action Against Worsening Sewage Crisis

The Guy
Apr 22
2 min read

The JB Marks Concerned Citizens (JBMCC) group has taken decisive legal steps to demand accountability and immediate action from the JB Marks Local Municipality and Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality following an alarming escalation of sewage spillages throughout Potchefstroom.

A City in Crisis

Residents from multiple suburbs, including Promosa, Baillie Park, Central Town, Van der Hoff Park, and others — have been documenting and reporting severe sewage overflows that have rendered homes unsanitary, green spaces toxic, and parts of the Mooi River and nearby wetlands dangerously polluted. Notable affected locations include:

Meadow Street
Kock Street
Jan Smuts Avenue
Parys Avenue
Abraham Street (Promosa)
Ben Pienaar Street
Drommedaris Street

Graphic photos from these areas reveal open sewage pouring into streets and yards, with residents unable to use their toilets and enduring overwhelming stench and health hazards.

Legal Intervention: A Voice for the Voiceless

Andreas Peens Attorneys, acting on behalf of JBMCC, issued a formal legal demand on 10 April 2025, asserting the municipality’s ongoing violation of Section 24 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to a healthy environment. The letter strongly criticizes the local government's failure to address service delivery, noting a pattern of neglect despite repeated community complaints and a previous contempt of court finding in the Poortjie Dam case.

JBMCC has now issued a strict ultimatum:

Clean up and repair the sewage systems by 12:00 on 16 April 2025.
Provide a formal record of steps taken to address and prevent future spillages.

Failure to comply will result in an urgent court application to compel the municipality to fulfil its basic constitutional duties.

Why This Matters

This is more than just a legal fight. It's about reclaiming the dignity, health, and liveability of our community. Raw sewage contaminates not just private homes but the Mooi River — a critical water source near the OPM Prozesky Bird Sanctuary. If left unresolved, the situation poses an environmental and public health catastrophe.

Call to the Community

The JBMCC invites residents to continue submitting photographic evidence and join the call for clean, safe neighbourhoods. The community's united voice is forcing long-overdue action — and this is just the beginning.

Images from Residents