A criminal case has been opened against the Buffalo City Metro over allegations that raw sewage is being discharged into the Buffalo River, posing serious environmental and public health risks to residents of Zwelitsha and surrounding areas.
Police confirmed this week that a case of contravention of the Municipal Systems Act had been registered after complaints of persistent sewage pollution linked to the Schornville sewage treatment plant.
The case follows an official complaint lodged a year ago by Mzwandile Vaaiboom, who accused the municipality of failing to address severe pollution of the river despite repeated warnings and engagements.
According to Vaaiboom, the case names the BCM mayor, council speaker and city manager, as well as accounting officers responsible for municipal operations, alleging negligence that has allowed untreated sewage to continuously flow into the Buffalo River.
“The pollution of the Buffalo River, the persistent stench, the health risks to residents of Schornville and Zwelitsha, the threat to livestock, and the degradation of the ecosystem left us with no option but to open a case,” Vaaiboom said.
He said polluted river water had also affected residents who used it for religious practices.
Vaaiboom said he had previously written to city manager Mxolisi Yawa, raising concerns about environmental health violations and the municipality’s constitutional obligations.
However, he claimed the responses failed to result in tangible improvements.
When responding to the initial complaint in 2025, Yawa said municipal staff working at the sewage plant had been redeployed due to ongoing criminal activity, including incidents where staff were allegedly held at gunpoint.
He also outlined plans to centralise sewage treatment at the Zwelitsha plant, with effluent from Breidbach, Bhisho and Schornville redirected there and the smaller plants decommissioned.
Despite these assurances, residents and activists say sewage continues to leak into the Buffalo River, with the Schornville plant still operating and reservoirs reportedly overflowing into the watercourse.
Residents living near the plant say they have endured years of foul odours and unsafe conditions.
Lizette Grobler, who lives opposite the facility, said the situation had worsened dramatically over the past three years.
“There used to be guards here, but within a week of them leaving it became much worse,” Grobler said.
“The smell is unbearable and sewage is running into the river.”
She said the area had become a gathering point for unemployed youth who smoked and burned objects near the plant.
“The place was fenced and guarded before. Now it’s not and people feel unsafe,” she said.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed that a case had been opened and was under investigation.
Environmental experts have warned that the pollution could have far-reaching consequences.
Environmentalist Kevin Cole said untreated sewage entering the river posed a serious risk to human health and the environment.
“Raw or inadequately treated sewage contains pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal illnesses,” Cole said.
“The Buffalo River also feeds into Bridle Drift Dam, which is a major source of drinking water for East London.”
Cole said sewage spills introduced excess nutrients and pollutants into the river, leading to oxygen depletion, fish deaths and the proliferation of invasive plant species.
EFF councillor Mziyanda Hlekiso said accountability was needed, particularly given that some residents relied on river water due to a lack of reliable municipal supply.
“Some people in Ward 22 have no water and are forced to drink from the river,” Hlekiso said.
DA caucus leader Sue Bentley said the situation at the Schornville plant justified criminal charges.
“Environmental crime is a serious offence that threatens public health,” Bentley said.
She said poor maintenance and budget prioritisation had worsened sewage spills and negatively affected tourism.
The BCM mayor, council speaker, city manager and the metro spokesperson had not commented by the time of publication.
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (NRF-SAIAB) freshwater ecologist Dr Nompumelelo Baso-Mdiza said a river contaminated with sewage water would be “a serious environmental health hazard”.
“This is because the sewage introduces very high levels of nutrients within the ecosystem (leading to hyper eutrophication),” Baso-Mdiza said.
“This nutrient overload fuels algal blooms and oxygen depletion, which can lead to massive fish die-off.”
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