In a story that was published in the African Reporter on February 12, the community members raised their concerns about safety issues in and around the Zamani open space behind the Duduza Multipurpose Centre where the plant is.
The residents stated that the plant had been vacant for more than 10 years and that they used this field to walk across when going to Cool Breeze Section or Zamani Section.
However, they added that the little building that stands in the open normally had people in it who, they claimed, smoked or slept there and who were able to spot them from afar and hence were able to rape, steal from and attack them.
The residents said that the community had made numerous requests to the Ekurhuleni Metro to demolish this building or close off this land following the many negative incidents, which included the drowning incident of a child, but nothing had been done.
In the response from the Ekurhuleni Metro, spokesman Themba Gadebe says that according to the information at their disposal, the pump station was phased out around July 1999 when an outfall sewer line was constructed from Duduza to the Hebert Bickley Water Treatment Plant in Nigel.
“Recently we have not received any complaints regarding the space where the pump station is situated. However, according to our records there was a drowning that happened at the pump in August 2010.
“At the time, the matter was referred to the East Rand Water Care Company (ERWAT) as they are the owners of that pump station.
“The pump station was sold to them in March 2000 and all equipment was removed by them,” he says.
Gadebe adds that in September 2010 the open sumps and inlets were backfilled with soil by ERWAT to secure them after the steel lids were stolen at the pump station, and since 2010 the metro had not had any complaints, unless if the complaints were raised directly with ERWAT.
“According to our records ERWAT did not want to demolish the structure in 1999 in case there were issues with the new outfall line or with the Hebert Bickley Waste Water Treatment Works, then they could use the pump station again to pump to Tsakane Waste Water Treatment Works.
“Furthermore, the decision to demolish the building at the moment rests with ERWAT as the asset is no longer on the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality asset register,” says Gadebe.
