The Buffalo City Metro has come under fire and received a formal complaint alleging it has not upheld environmental health standards in terms of its constitutional duties.
This is because its dilapidated Schornville sewage treatment plant in Qonce is said to be overflowing and spilling raw sewage into the Buffalo River.
This, despite the Buffalo City Metro paying more than R400m to merge bulk sewerage schemes in the region servicing Bhisho, Qonce and surrounding villages and townships.
Five years after its scheduled completion date, the facility remains a non-operational white elephant.
The project was meant to amalgamate the Schornville, Zwelitsha, Breidbach and Bhisho wastewater treatment works.
In November 2024, the metro put out a tender for the bioremediation of its sewer plants including Schornville, Breidbach and Mdantsane.
Civic organisation ISANCO wrote on Monday to BCM city manager Mxolisi Yawa, lodging an environmental complaint, giving the city 14 calendar days to respond in writing with reasons for its noncompliance and providing possible solutions and time frames.
In the letter, ISANCO provincial leader Mzwandile Vaaiboom said the surrounding areas, excluding Mlakalaka and Ndevana, were charged municipal rates yet the constitutional rights related to health and services for these communities had been violated.
Vaaiboom said they had informed the metro of the spillage before the summer initiation season in December.
“Abakhwetha [initiates] use that stream to wash and had to use it with this raw spill, this is a serious health hazard even for the livestock that drink there.”
Qonce traditional nurse Bushy Mbeka said: “We had 36 boys from Zwelitsha and an additional 14 near the Buffalo River. It was a challenge.
“We used bucket water to wash to avoid using that water.”
The Buffalo River flows through Ginsberg, Zwelitsha, Phakamisa, Ndevana and Mlakalaka into the ocean in East London.
A visit to the facility on Wednesday revealed that the plant’s fence, gates and all metal were stripped.
Staff offices were littered with needles and cannabis plants were growing outside.
Raw sewage flowed into the non-operational treatment pools.
Resident Lizelle Krauze said the smell of sewage was unbearable.
“These guys [criminals] work like ants, each and every day. Last year, the place was stripped and the only thing left was the railings on the pools.
“BCM officials arrive 10 hours late when you report and they come here to take the flowing water samples every day and then leave,” she said.
“When it rains, the whole street gets covered in sewage.”
Ginsberg farmer Batjies Mbeka said they rescued a calf on the site which had fallen into the sewage a week ago.
“There is no gate there, so our cows eat there. Calves fall into the pools and we have to pull them out using a bakkie.”
He said livestock got sick from drinking the water.
“They drink this contaminated water from the river ... You can’t tell a cow where to drink.”
In October, metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the wastewater treatment upgrade project was meant to “replace the inefficient existing smaller works and immediately allow the Bhisho precinct unhindered development”.
“The work on the facility was progressing well and the facility was about two months away from completion and commissioning, but due to payment disputes, the contractor terminated the contract and instituted legal action against BCM to secure the payment, and that process is currently being finalised.”
Ngwenya said the facility, once fully operational, “will provide capacity for present and future population growth”.
“The Zwelitsha site is ideally located to receive all the sewerage flows under gravity, to save on operation and maintenance costs.”
At the time, BCM and the service provider, according to Ngwenya, were in negotiations over a possible settlement amount which might be finalised soon.
On Thursday, Ngwenya said officials were meeting on the matter.
He could not respond by the time of publication.
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