City committed to dignity, safety of Khayelitsha residents
16 December 2025
MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR HUMAN SETTLEMENTS, CARL POPHAIM
The City of Cape Town is ready to proceed with the urgent relocation of residents living above a bulk sewer line in Khayelitsha’s SST settlement, to unlock safer living conditions for families and allow essential engineering and infrastructure work to commence.
There is also an additional urgent relocation that will be prioritised. This relates to the collapsed bulk sewer line in the Makhaza section. The eight affected structures will be included in the priority SST relocation operation.
City teams have been assessing relocation opportunities to ensure residents can be moved and teams can carry out the required work. This has been challenging due to the limited land across the metro. The proposed site will accommodate 79 3mx6m residential units, with 16 chemical toilets, perimeter fencing and stormwater conduits. Provision has also been made for a designated area for taxis.
Teams are meeting regularly to coordinate aspects of the relocation and ensure that residents are moved as quickly and safely as possible. Negotiations have been held with CODETA (Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association) since last week. A contractor has been appointed for site clearing and the installation of toilets and standpipes. The contractor is on standby to construct the structures and fencing, ensuring dignified and secure conditions for the residents.
We are ready to proceed. Our priority is to ensure that residents are relocated to a safer, more dignified environment, while enabling the urgent maintenance work which is critical to the broader community. The City will continue to engage residents and stakeholders as work on the site progresses.
We have requested for work to begin today, a public holiday, with the intention of undisturbed work continuing over the next few days to ensure the relocation by the end of this week.
Water and Sanitation can then undertake the pipeline repair work and take the leadership role in the next phase of this project. We have established a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) in Khayelitsha to ensure there is constant monitoring of this situation so we can restore dignified basic services to all of our residents.
The City thanks all stakeholders for their cooperation, and we especially thank the residents for their patience and support. A special thank you to the Water and Sanitation and Safety and Security directorates for their involvement throughout this process. Currently, teams are at the site of the collapse, over-pumping the sewage using four pumps on a 24-hour basis with the assistance of Law Enforcement for security purposes. The emergency contractor for the repair of the bulk sewer is anticipated to be on site this week, and the repair can begin once the structures have been removed from the servitude. We remain committed to ensuring their safety and well-being throughout this relocation and repair.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
