<div>Gauteng families live in a swamp of sewage </div>

Families in Obed Nkosi township, Heidelberg, Gauteng, endure a living nightmare surrounded by sewage and stagnant water, residents claim. No proper sewage system exists in their three-storey RDP flats, home to 164 blocks with 12 units each. The environment is littered with toilet paper and other detritus, making the area resemble a "dam of human faeces", according to one resident.

Two years have passed, yet conditions remain unchanged, leading some families to send children away for their health and safety. Despite this, the Lesedi Local Municipality's wastewater management score has plummeted from 79% in 2021 to 73% in 2025, signaling worsening conditions. The Ratanda wastewater treatment plant is overwhelmed, with the sewage reaching the Blesbokspruit river and eventually the Vaal River.

The Vaal-Orange Catchment Management Agency has threatened legal action, demanding an improvement plan within 14 days and a rehabilitation plan from a qualified professional within 30 days. The municipality attributes the issues to vandalism, theft, and unsuitable materials entering the sewage system.