North West – A Mahikeng mother is blaming the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality for the tragic death of her two-day-old infant.
Hasina Morake (42) from Seweding village, believes living in a home flooded with raw sewage during her pregnancy contributed to her newborn’s death last week.
She says she repeatedly pleaded with the municipality to relocate her family from their RDP home, after a sewage leak in November 2025.
“We have been subjected to a bad living environment. We were unable to eat or bathe properly because of the sewage spills, and we have lost belongings such as birth certificates and furniture due to how high the sewage has flowed,” Morake tells Health-e News.
In a video that circulated on social media earlier this month, Morake and her two children can be seen walking through sewage-filled water inside their yard.
Soon after, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality mayor Khumalo Molefe visited the area and was informed about Morake’s situation. At the time, Morake was almost due to give birth.
“The family was temporarily accommodated in a guesthouse for a period of one week while the municipality conducted a cleaning operation as an immediate relief measure,” says Lehlohonolo March, the municipality’s communications manager.
However, Morake isn’t happy.
“We have since returned to the same RDP house and given a SASSA food voucher. They have only cleaned the house and poured chemicals around the yard,” says Morake, who desperately hoped to be moved into a new house.
Health complications
Morake says she was exposed to the sewage-contaminated environment throughout her pregnancy. Although the house was cleaned, she says a strong stench of raw sewage remains.
It is the same home she returned to with her newborn after giving birth last week.
She believes the conditions contributed to her baby’s death.
“It was around 2pm on Wednesday when my baby started crying non-stop and struggling to breathe. I rushed to the local clinic in Unit 9,” she recalls.
The infant was declared dead on arrival.
“I was confused because the baby was still warm when we left home, and I did not experience any complications during my pregnancy.”
Now, Morake fears for her health and that of her two young children.
“My 6-year-old child is now consistently coughing. Since I had my baby, I have been experiencing chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness and pain around my waist. But I can’t afford private transport to the local clinic.”
The municipality didn’t respond to the news of Morake losing her baby, and the cause of death is unclear.
Sewage spills leave Seweding residents living in unsanitary conditions
A local nurse, Snenjongo Ngxameleni, explains that living in a sewage-flooded house is like “looking at a cocktail of bacteria, viruses and other nasties that can make you seriously ill”.
“Potential health challenges include gastrointestinal issues like diarrhoea, respiratory problems, especially for people with pre-existing conditions like asthma. Skin infections and rashes are also inevitable,” says Ngxameleni.
Health e-News reported in January that raw sewage has been running down the streets and flooding people’s yards in Seweding for months. According to the municipality, work is currently underway to fix the broken pipes. – Health-e News
