Soshanguve Learners Risk Safety Crossing Sewage-contaminated River To Get To School

This week marked the start of the school year for learners across South Africa. Parents in Soshanguve Block KK, north of Pretoria, had an extra school preparation task on their hands — reinforcing a make-shift bridge. 

For hours parents and community members endured the foul smell of a sewage-contaminated river, hauling rocks to rebuild the crossing that learners use to get to school. 

According to community leader Tebogo Mlambo, this has been going on since 2011. 

“Despite numerous promises from six Executive Mayors, no meaningful action has been taken, and our fear is that worse is yet to come,” he says. 

Lerato Nkoana (18), a Matsemela High School matriculant, has crossed the makeshift bridge since Grade 1. 

“Both my parents are unemployed, and this is our only route to school,” she says.

With extra classes starting, Nkoana’s concerns about safety are heightened. 

“It’s not safe to cross late – people get robbed and raped. A matriculant was found raped and murdered here in 2023. We need police and crime wardens deployed for learners like us,” she says, adding that a new bridge could help curb crime.

In the meantime, Nkoana wants the city to improve safety measures.“Fix streetlights, high light masts, and cut the weeds and grass. We need to feel safe while we wait for a proper bridge.”

Residents say they often have to carry children as young as 4-years-old over the crossing. 

Health concerns 

In addition to the fear of falling victim to crime, community members are worried about their exposure to raw sewage flowing in the river. 

“We contact raw sewage every now and then so that we can save the lives of the young ones,” says Nkele Sithole, a volunteer who assists learners crossing the make-shift bridge. 

“When it rains, the bridge gets damaged and rocks get flushed away. Some learners are compelled to miss school, and others are forced to take off shoes, fold trousers, it’s time-consuming and they end up falling into sewage spillage.”

Foster Mohale, National Department of Health spokesperson, warns that prolonged exposure to sewage carries a myriad of health risks. These include diarrhoea, parasitic infections and respiratory issues. 

“There are potential health risks which are preventable through maintaining proper sanitation and hygiene,” he explains. 

Lack of service delivery 

Ward 26 councillor Joseph Shimi confirms that various departments have engaged with him to get a resolution to the situation.

“It is a service delivery issue that needs addressing urgently. We’ve been working tirelessly to ensure that a successful project is completed and safety and health precautions are taken,” he says, adding that the infrastructure development committee of the city has promised to allocate funds in the 2026 budget.

The City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashego says the city is aware of the poor state of the bridge, saying the matter has been escalated to relevant departments. The city’s MMC for roads and transport didn’t respond to our media query.

Minimising harm

While the community waits for the municipality to build a bridge, Mohale says the following steps can help reduce the danger:

• WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) Education: Teach handwashing post-crossing using clean water and soap or alcohol-based sanitiser in the absence of water and soap. Discourage bare-foot crossing, encourage use of closed, waterproof footwear.  Teach children to avoid touching their face before washing their hands.

• Protective Clothing: If possible, children should wear knee-length rubber boots when crossing. These should be left outside the home and washed regularly with a bleach solution.

• The “Clean Hands” Rule: Children must wash their hands with soap immediately upon arriving at school and again when returning home. If soap is unavailable, use an alcohol-based sanitiser.

• Deworming & Vaccination: Ensure children are up-to-date on Hepatitis A (Obtainable at private facilities or pharmacies only) and Polio vaccinations. Regular deworming medication (usually available at local clinics) is essential for children in this environment.  – Health-e News