Environment & land

Matlosana kept failing to stop sewage spills, violating residents' rights, South Africa's Human Rights Commission found, while its main treatment works sits broken and pouring sewage toward the Vaal

Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesNorth West · Oct 6, 2026

Subject of this story

City of Matlosana Local Municipality

Also named

Oversight

South African Human Rights Commission

Department of Water and Sanitation

National Council of Provinces

What happened

In a North West service-delivery investigative report dated November 2025, the South African Human Rights Commission substantiated complaints of chronic sewage spillages in Orkney and Alabama and found that the City of Matlosana, having failed to address them sustainably, violated residents' rights to dignity and to an environment not harmful to health, and failed its duties under section 152 of the Constitution and section 28 of the National Environmental Management Act; it noted a January 2023 court order had already found the municipality's sewage failures violated residents' rights. The Commission directed Matlosana to attend to spills within 24 hours and submit a costed upgrade and remediation plan within 90 days. A National Council of Provinces oversight visit reported on 13 May 2026 that the Klerksdorp wastewater treatment works has not operated since March 2023, sends untreated sewage into the Skoonspruit and on to the Vaal River, needs about R400 million with no funding allocated, and that the Department of Water and Sanitation issued non-compliance notices in 2018 and 2021 and opened a criminal case against the municipality in February 2026. The department's 2025 Green Drop audit scored Matlosana's sewerage management at 11.9%, a critical rating.

Sources (3)

South African Human Rights Commission - An Investigative Report into the State of Municipal Service Delivery in the North WestHaving failed to address the reported sewer spillage challenges sustainably, Matlosana violated residents' constitutional rights to human dignity (section 10 of the Constitution), and an environment that is not harmful to health and wellbeing (section 24 of the Constitution).

Parliament of the Republic of South Africa - NCOP statementKlerksdorp works non-operational since March 2023; untreated sewage flows into the Skoonspruit and Vaal; DWS issued non-compliance notices in 2018 and 2021 and opened a criminal case in February 2026.

GroundUpIn its 2025 report, Matlosana's sewerage management received an overall score of 11.9%, which places it in a critical state. The City of Matlosana did not respond to a request for comment.

Response

City of Matlosana Local Municipality

No response by publication

Contacted — no response by publication.

What happened next (0)

No outcome recorded yet.

I saw an update

Take action →