KUGOMPO CITY – Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Councillor Princess Faku, has toured Mzamomhle Township to kick off a phased rehabilitation of the area’s failing sewer network, telling residents the days of living with overflowing drains are coming to an end.

According to a BCM statement, Faku met HOV JV, the contractor appointed to upgrade and rehabilitate the township’s sewer infrastructure, during a site visit on Tuesday. Ward 27 councillor Boy Boy Kalani and the member of the mayoral committee for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Mninawa Nyusile, accompanied her.

“For far too long, many of our residents have had to live with the inconvenience and health risks associated with sewer spillages,” Faku said. “This project is about restoring dignity, protecting public health, and ensuring that our communities enjoy the quality of life they deserve.”

The mayor said work would be carried out in phases to minimise disruption, with the first phase targeting a sewer line serving a local school and clinic so that those services can continue operating throughout construction.

“We want this work to be done properly. We do not want temporary solutions,” she said. “We want permanent interventions that will address sewer spillages, repair water leaks, and improve the overall sanitation system in Mzamomhle.”

Faku acknowledged that Mzamomhle’s population had grown well beyond what the original sewer network was designed to handle, leading to recurring overflows and persistent maintenance problems.

“The reality is that Mzamomhle today is not the same Mzamomhle that existed when much of this infrastructure was first planned and constructed,” she said. “The population has grown considerably, and the demands on our sanitation network have increased beyond what was originally anticipated.”

The project will also require the removal of illegal structures built on sewer servitudes and critical infrastructure corridors. The mayor said some residents whose homes sit directly above underground sewer lines may need to be relocated to make way for the work.

“We understand that this is a sensitive matter, but infrastructure servitudes must remain accessible so that maintenance and upgrades can take place,” Faku said. “Where people have built on top of these critical service lines, alternative arrangements will need to be explored.”

Clearing the servitudes will give municipal teams and contractors the access needed to rehabilitate the network and prevent future blockages.

Faku added that she was confident in HOV JV’s ability to deliver the project and appealed to residents to support the initiative, saying the goal was a cleaner, healthier Mzamomhle where sewer spillages “become a thing of the past.”

The upgrade allegedly forms part of Buffalo City’s wider effort to strengthen sanitation infrastructure across all 50 wards.

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