SA Human Rights Commission findings paint a troubling picture of beaches, rivers and wastewater systems under pressure, with serious questions raised about pollution, monitoring and the state of the metro's ageing infrastructure.

Nelson Mandela Bay's long-running sewage and wastewater crisis has reached the point where the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says constitutional rights are at stake, after an investigation found evidence of pollution, inadequate monitoring and failures to prevent wastewater-related contamination.

The commission has given Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality 30 days to submit a remedial action plan, setting out how it will address the findings, including investigating pollution hotspots, strengthening water-quality monitoring and reporting on progress.

The report, released in July, follows years of complaints, stakeholder concerns, public reports and media coverage about inadequate wastewater treatment, effluent contamination, sewage spills, affected beaches and degraded riverine, estuarine and coastal environments in the metro.

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The commission found that water-quality problems in Nelson Mandela Bay were not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of sewage-related pollution risks, wastewater infrastructure failures and monitoring challenges affecting rivers, estuaries and coastal areas.

THE BIG STINK Kings Beach: Ongoing sewage spills threaten tourism status September 21, 2025 The commission described the results as a material public-health risk signal requiring investigation, repeat sampling and appropriate communication with the public.

Independent laboratory testing commissioned for the investigation found severe contamination at certain wastewater-related sites...