- Seshego residents battle smoke from burning waste and illegal dumping.
- Nearby wastewater treatment plant causes unbearable stench.
- Local municipality acknowledges ongoing infrastructure problems.
41-year-old Richard Lebea, who has lived with asthma since childhood, says living next to a wastewater treatment plant and an illegal dumping site on the outskirts of Seshego township in Limpopo is taking a toll on his health.
For years, residents in the northern parts of Seshego have complained about the stench from the wastewater treatment plant and smoke from burning rubbish at the nearby dumping site.
Lebea was diagnosed with asthma in 1988 at Helen Franz Hospital when he was six years old. His family relocated to the Polokwane area, hoping that being closer to healthcare facilities would make it easier for him to access treatment.
But Lebea says living close to a wastewater treatment plant and an illegal dumping site where people from neighbouring sections discard household rubbish and dead animals impacts his health.
Smoke worsens breathing difficulties
When Health-e News visited the area recently, piles of garbage were visible at the illegal dumping site, with flies and other insects around the waste. Lebea says the accumulated rubbish also attracts rodents that make their way into nearby homes and yards.
“My home is not far from both the dumping site and sewerage plant and when people burn waste at the dumping site, the smoke affects me badly.”
“Sometimes the smell is so strong my inhalers and nebulisers cannot remedy the situation.”
“This happens almost daily, especially just after sunset. Due to my asthmatic conditions, I’m forced to undergo regular checkups at Zone 3 Clinic and Seshego Hospital.”
Poor conditions of the surrounding environment has left residents feeling neglected by the municipality.
“The environment is decaying, with no proper road infrastructure while we pay huge monthly water bills. The level of systemic service delivery failures will have a huge impact on the upcoming elections. There is overwhelming despondency among residents,” Lebea says.
Residents complain about unbearable stench
A security officer working at a nearby business says the air pollution makes working conditions miserable. “The stench is so unbearable you can’t even chew gum. Not even a surgical mask can minimise the stench while mosquitoes are all over the place.”
Nancy Mashao, who lives in a residential unit in Seshego, says the environment makes it difficult for children from the area to play outdoors.
“Children always complain of the stench coming from the sewerage plant, especially in the afternoon when they will be playing at the recreational area within the residential unit which is not far from both the dumping site and the sewerage plant. We once raised these issues but nothing was done.”
Mashao believes the environmental problems should be among the key issues raised during election campaigns.
Seshego part of wider sewage treatment crisis in Polokwane
The problems at the Seshego wastewater treatment plant form part of a wider sewage treatment crisis in Polokwane. All three of the municipality’s wastewater treatment plants in Seshego, Polokwane and Mankweng are in a critical state.
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s 2025 Green Drop Report, found that the three plants scored an average of just 23% for their performance. The report also found shortcomings in the municipality’s monitoring of the environmental impact of treated wastewater discharged from the plants.
Polokwane Municipality spokesperson Willy Mosoma acknowledged the ongoing problems at the wastewater treatment plant. He says municipal teams were working to reduce the stench at the plant, but ageing infrastructure and other technical challenges meant that addressing the problem remained an ongoing project.
Mosoma also confirmed that the municipality was aware of illegal dumping in Seshego and surrounding communities.
“We have developed a timetable so that we can regularly collect waste. We continue to use relevant platforms to make residents aware of the dangers of illegal dumping, however, we’re concerned that it continues nevertheless.”
Moyahabo Mabeba is an all-round reporter whose journalism career spans almost three decades. He has worked for several national publications and is a former editor of The Journal newspaper. His reporting has a strong human-interest focus, particularly on the experiences of vulnerable communities. A softball fanatic, he also works in marketing and publicity in sporting circles.
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