A Mpumalanga court has ordered the municipality governing Komatipoort to "immediately" fix its raw sewage and drinking water crisis after residents complained of untreated effluent flowing the Crocodile River, constant drinking water outages, and even live fish appearing out of their taps.
The court action was brought by the Komatipoort Despondent Residents' Association. The town, a tourism and agricultural hub near the border with Mozambique and the Kruger National Park, falls within the Nkomazi Local Municipality.
The ruling, handed down by the Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Mbombela, highlights the growing trend of residents taking municipalities to court to force them to provide services such as drinking water and electricity.