The City’s Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, paid another visit to Khayelitsha’s SST Section on Friday, where a bulk sewer pipeline recently collapsed again, leading to sinkholes forming under some people’s homes.

The settlement was formed illegally over a sewer line and is also located in a stormwater retention pond.

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Badroodien has confirmed that this is an emergency, and the City is trying to respond as quickly as possible.

A 700mm bulk sewer pipeline runs under this community, and it needs to be repaired at 10 separate locations.

But Badroodien says, despite misinformation being spread on the matter, the repairs can only be done once affected residents are relocated, as they simply cannot access the pipeline at the moment.

A video posted on X shows the densely populated informal settlement, with very little room for engineers to work.

The MMC says at least 40 structures will have to be moved, and that talks are underway with the affected residents.

He concedes that the big challenge is convincing people to move, as they have settled in this community, and their lives are here, while they also have to consult with the accepting community where these families will be relocated.

Badroodien was accompanied by a representative from the SA Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector’s Office so he could share the facts around the matter.

He says emergency contractors stand ready to effect the repairs, but it will depend on how quickly the relocation can occur.