Residents pay to stop sewage spill
ALEXANDRA - Tenants at a block of flats who spent two nights in sewage flooded rooms had to fork from their pockets to avoid a third night of stinky life.
Tenants at a block of flats who spent two nights in sewage-flooded rooms, had to fork out to avoid a third night of stinky life.
The 24-story flats on 6th Avenue were flooded from 5 August, and by 7 August the sewage was still spilling from a blocked pipe into their rooms, through the toilet system. Most affected were those on the ground floor where the sewage spilled out of the front door into the courtyard.
Despite persistent requests to the Department of Housing and the local councillor Chris Mabunda for emergency support, nothing was done for them. On 7 August they collected R1500 for a private plumber who unblocked the pipes. One of the affected, Catherine Gramany, said they couldn’t comprehend how a local authority didn’t have readily available emergency services for such a problem.
“We are unlikely to be refunded for acting proactively for the sake of our health, and wonder if those in authority would have been treated like us if they experienced the same problems?”
Gramany said that she had to dispose of blankets, sheets and clothing which were used to soak up the sewage and also mattresses which were soiled.
The ANC Youth League, which supported them, said the residents were treated badly. “They did deserve to pay from their meagre savings, they were treated inhumanely and shows the weakness in our leadership,” said the Lebo Mokebe, the league’s branch chairperson.
