Belhar Residents Call for Permanent Solution as Sewage Overflows Continue

The latest overflow is the latest in a series of incidents that residents say have been occurring since November 2025, with sewage repeatedly spilling onto the road, pavement and public spaces. Residents say the recurring problem has become a serious health, environmental and quality-of-life concern for the community.

According to residents, although City teams have attended to previous blockages, the problem continues to return, leading many to believe the issue is linked to ageing or inadequate infrastructure rather than isolated blockages.

Residents say the recurring sewage overflows have created unpleasant living conditions, with persistent foul odours and concerns about exposure to contaminated wastewater, particularly for children, elderly residents and people with underlying health conditions.

During previous engagements with local ward councillors, residents called for a permanent solution to the recurring sewage problem. In response, Democratic Alliance (DA) Ward Councillor Alderman Willie Jaftha said that addressing the issue permanently would require infrastructure upgrades, which would need to be accommodated through the City's budgeting process.

Following the latest incident, residents again raised the matter with local ward councillors. Responding to questions from residents, Councillor Jaftha said a City supervisor would be brought in to assess the site and investigate the recurring problem.

Residents say they hope the assessment will lead to a lasting engineering solution instead of repeated temporary repairs.

The community has also praised Patriotic Alliance (PA) Ward Councillor Ashley Addinall for his swift response to the latest and previous overflow. According to residents, Addinall visited the site shortly, on both occasions, after the matters were reported, logged the service request with the City of Cape Town and municipal teams attended to the blockage within approximately three hours.

While residents welcomed the prompt response and restoration of the affected area, they say the repeated sewage overflows highlight the need for a permanent infrastructure intervention.

Residents are now urging the City of Cape Town to conduct a full investigation into the root cause of the recurring sewage failures, prioritise the necessary infrastructure upgrades and provide clear communication on the long-term plans to resolve the issue.

For those living in the area, the concern is no longer whether the next sewage overflow will be cleared quickly, but whether the recurring problem will finally be resolved before another spill occurs.