Refentse residents are living amongst sewage and filth.

Following the failure of the Madibeng Municipality to address the sewage and refuse crisis at the Refentse settlement in Hartbeespoort, the DA has now stepped in an attempt to assist the community.
Kormorant reported last month about the horrendous circumstances the Refentse residents live in after a number of residents asked for assistance. Sewage is running around the houses and the nursery school and a part of the settlement looks like a refuse dump. The residents are surrounded by filth and a terrible stench. The only response Kormornat received from the municipality was that the manager for Waste and Environmental Management would visit the site and provide feedback. According to residents this never happened.
The DA said this week it conducted an oversight inspection at Refentse after receiving several complaints from residents about children falling ill because of exposure to raw sewage. “During our visit and engagement with residents, we found the village overflowing with raw sewage while refuse has not been collected for a very long time,” said Councillor Erna Rossouw.
“Madibeng’s failure to ensure proper sanitation services has caused a health crisis as the unsanitary conditions have created a breeding ground for disease and contamination. Many children in the community are suffering from painful sores on their legs, as well as diarrhoea, a clear indication of the dire health hazards they are exposed to daily. The absence of adequate waste management systems not only endangers public health but also exacerbates environmental degradation, further compounding the challenges faced by the community.”
“It is unconscionable that the basic right to a clean and safe environment, essential for the well-being of all citizens, has been denied to the residents of Refentse. The DA has written to the Executive Mayor, Cllr Douglas Miamane, requesting immediate repairs and maintenance to the sewerage infrastructure in Refentse Village. We also requested that waste disposal facilities be brought to the community to safely dispose of the garbage around the homes.”
Rossouw said the DA will also file a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for an investigation into the municipality’s failure to deliver sanitation services in Refentse Village.