Residents of SST live in fear as sewer line bursts under homes
For residents of the SST informal settlement in Town Two, each day begins with uncertainty. Beneath their shacks runs a sewer line that has become a constant source of danger - and despair.
The sewer line, residents say, bursts frequently, flooding their homes with wastewater and weakening the ground beneath them. In some cases, the floors and walls of their homes have collapsed entirely. The stench of raw sewage lingers in the air, making daily life unbearable and raising serious health concerns for both adults and children.
The photo shows the area where a pipe burst during the night, flooding the ground around nearby shacks and leaving residents worried about their health and safety.
Image: Siyavuya Khaya
When Vukani visited the area Friday, October 31, residents spoke of fear, frustration, and exhaustion. Many said they no longer feel safe in their own homes.
“We are living in fear,” said Ncedisa Bhushula, a mother of three who has lived in the area for more than 20 years.
Ms Bhushula described the terrifying night when her home caved in without warning.
“I was fast asleep at midnight when I heard a huge sound inside my two-roomed shack. A few minutes later, I smelled sewage - and within the blink of an eye, my floor collapsed, leaving a huge hole,” she said.
Ncedisa Bhushula and her family had to leave their home after their shack collapsed while they were sleeping.
Image: siyavuya khaya
Forced to evacuate, Ms Bhushula is now staying with a friend, uncertain of her future.
“The only choice is to put some sand and concrete to close the hole, just like others have done. We’ve reported this for many years, but nothing seems to be done by the City. When you live at someone’s place, you have limited freedom. No one deserves to live in such horrible conditions,” she said.
“When we are sleeping, we can hear the wastewater beneath our homes. As summer approaches, it’s going to be unbearable - living in hellish conditions,” she added.
Community leader, Mzikasi Thwani, shows Vukani the extent of damage the sewer line has caused in the area.
Image: Siyavuya Khaya
The City's mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said the situation in SST was the result of structures being built illegally over key service infrastructure.
“Any structure built on top of an essential service servitude is illegal and places not only the lives and property of residents at risk, but also compromises the essential service infrastructure itself,” he said.
Dr Badroodien said the affected structures have made it impossible for the City to safely repair the sewer line.
“Since the line first broke in 2024, the City has submitted several requests for the removal of these structures to enable the appointment of an emergency contractor. The structures must be removed to allow safe access for maintenance teams to excavate and repair the line in accordance with safety and engineering standards,” he said.
He added that while there are currently no active overflows affecting nearby structures, the existing sinkholes remain a serious safety concern.
“The sunken areas have been temporarily filled with milling material to reduce immediate risk, but this is an unsustainable measure that does not address the root cause,” he said.
Community leader, Dalisile Mfazwe, said the problem began about two years ago but worsened last year, making life unbearable for many residents.
“The pipe has been bursting for a long time, but last year it became worse. The City once promised to remove affected residents, but there were internal community issues that delayed the process,” he said.
Mr Mfazwe added that the City had struggled to find alternative land to relocate residents, leaving them trapped in unsafe conditions.
“Some people try to seal their floors with concrete, but when the pipe bursts again, all those efforts are destroyed. This pipe has been servicing parts of Khayelitsha for more than 20 years - it either needs to be replaced or properly fixed,” he said.