Vacating illegal structures key to fixing sinkholes affecting parts of SST in Khayelitsha
14 November 2025
The City of Cape Town is in discussions to encourage people to vacate 40 structures illegally built on top of an 800 mm bulk sewer line requiring urgent maintenance. Land options are scarce, however a potential non-City-owned site has been identified and engagements are set to begin on the possible relocation. The sewer line runs under parts of SST and Wetland Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha.
Sinkholes recently formed on sections of the 800 mm bulk sewer, indicating that the pipe is compromised. The City’s Water and Sanitation teams are actively planning for repair work to begin as soon as unlawful occupants agree to enable access to the sewer line.
The 40 structures currently prevent teams from safely excavating and repairing the damaged sewer line below. Before this work can be done, these service corridors must be opened to provide maintenance crews with safe access to the City’s underground infrastructure for repairs.
Meanwhile, Water and Sanitation’s contractor is already on the ground attending to the repairs of another damaged 150 mm diameter sewer pipe, including the damaged manhole on the 800 mm diameter bulk sewer mainline in the Wetlands Informal Settlement.
Water and Sanitation’s teams have previously put in place temporary measures, such as filling the sinkholes with milling material, in Wetland Informal Settlement to reduce the immediate risk to residents. However, these are not permanent solutions, and the area remains vulnerable until the sewer line can be fully repaired and stabilised.
‘We’re taking transversal action to address the collapses on the 800 mm Khayelitsha Bulk Sewer. Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation and the Ward Councillors joined us on site visits to witness first-hand the challenges experienced in this area. We saw the realities and challenges on site, including that the pipe is about 4 m underground and that we cannot conduct a proper assessment until the pipe is excavated. This requires clear, safe access to the affected area, which is currently impossible with structures built directly over the sewer line.
'During my previous inspection of this area with the Ward Councillor, we identified at least 40 structures that need to be moved to enable the necessary machinery to access the sinkholes.
'We continue to appeal to residents not to build in essential services servitudes or in stormwater retention ponds. These areas are designated as such for public safety reasons and to enable the City to maintain infrastructure that serves entire communities. Building on servitudes is not only dangerous—it is unlawful and compromises our ability to provide basic services.
'A number of the structures have already been emptied, and those residents still living in the affected structures are encouraged to evacuate so that teams can gain entry to the pipe and start the repair work to ensure broader public safety.
'Water and Sanitation is working closely with Human Settlements to facilitate the relocation of affected residents. As soon as the relocations are complete and we have safe access to the service corridor, an emergency contractor will begin permanent repair work on the damaged sewer line.
'This is not the first sewer collapse we have had to repair in informal settlements where structures have been built over servitudes, and it will not be the last unless residents heed our warnings and proactively relocate dwellings off these servitudes. We need the cooperation of community leaders and residents to clear these service corridors before infrastructure failures occur, so that we can prevent emergencies rather than only respond to them,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
