Important South African town collapsing with rampant crime and regular water and electricity outages

Citizens in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality are facing severe water and electricity problems due to brazen criminality.

Ba-Phalaborwa is a local municipality within the Mopani District Municipality, in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The central town is Phalaborwa.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) warned that the area is under siege by criminals, urging the police to arrest them and ensure they are convicted.

This action, it argued, was needed to ensure that law and order were maintained and reliable service delivery was restored.

“Crime and corruption break towns. In Ba-Phalaborwa, crime and government indifference are turning public infrastructure into a criminal opportunity,” it said.

It said that this situation leaves residents in the area with dry taps, power interruptions, and failing services.

The DA submitted a petition to the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality regarding the theft of water by water-tanker mafias from fire hydrants.

However, despite the action from the party, the municipality’s council failed to agree to take decisive action.

“In some instances, these alleged mafias are reportedly armed and intimidate residents and councillors when questioned,” it said.

“It is further alleged that stolen water may, in some instances, be billed back to Mopani District Municipality, the Water Services Authority.”

It added that illegal water connections run like spaghetti through much of Ba-Phalaborwa’s peri-urban and tribal-settlement areas.

“Both municipalities are aware of the impact that illegal connections have on water supply to legitimate consumers, yet they have failed to act decisively,” the DA said.

Parts of Ba-Phalaborwa, particularly Phalaborwa town, are subjected to repeated cable theft. Despite known hotspots, no decisive action has been taken.

“In this vacuum, the business community is taking steps to install cameras and clear overgrown areas to help protect the town’s infrastructure,” it said.

The DA said that the criminal activities occur with impunity despite the municipality spending R18 million per year on contracted private security.

“The municipality cannot spend R54 million over three years on a security contract while cable thieves and illegal connectors cripple critical infrastructure,” it said.

The DA added that two SA Police Service members were reportedly arrested on cable-theft charges but appear to remain at work.

“A thorough investigation is required to determine whether there is corrupt collusion across organs of government,” it said.

Municipality breaks the rules on Phalaborwa landfill site

In March 2026, GroundUp reported that the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality is dumping its waste at an unlicensed landfill site north-west of Phalaborwa.

Conditions at the site do not meet the required standard, posing a health risk to waste pickers.

The licence expired in March 2024 and was extended by the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism until the end of February 2026.

However, the site is still being used. GroundUp saw piles of uncompacted rubbish on the site.

Municipal spokesperson Jonas Mahesu said, as a rule, waste should be compacted daily and covered to prevent odour, pests, windblown litter, and potential health risks.

He acknowledged that this was not happening. “The municipality is working towards improving adherence despite equipment and operational challenges,” he said.

The municipality says it does not have the money to develop a planned new landfill site, which will have a 30-year lifespan.

Trevor van Rooyen, vice-chairperson of the Let’s Change Ba-Phalaborwa Community Forum, said residents had raised concerns about the smell but received no response.

“The landfill is in a mess. Rehabilitation of the current site should be expedited and the development of a new landfill site finalised,” said Van Rooyen.

Lefa Mononga, from the South African Waste Pickers Association, confirmed that waste should be compacted and covered to prevent environmental contamination and the spread of disease and pests.

He urged the municipality to integrate waste pickers into waste management systems, provide safe working conditions, and comply with regulations.

Asked about this, Mahesu said the municipality implements measures to promote health and safety, including monitoring and controlling access to the site.

Phalaborwa landfill site photos from GroundUp