A shop owner in Alexandra was living in constant fear that his shop would collapse due to a large gaping hole outside which was left after excavations were conducted by Joburg Water a month ago.
Located on the corner of Joe Nhlanhla Street and 2nd Avenue close to Alexandra High School, the owner of Hot Cake Corner, David Langa, said there was water seeping from the ground just outside his shop.
“I reported this and Joburg Water workers came and dug a huge hole with an excavator, which they then left gaping and not properly secured, thereby posing a danger to passersby and children in particular,” Langa said.
Langa thought the workers would return in a day or so to complete the job and seal the gaping hole. A week went by and no workers returned. “I then started worrying not just for the safety of people walking around it but that of my shop, as the water that is flowing underneath is now causing wet soil on the sides of the excavation to cave in.”
Langa made numerous calls to Joburg Water over several weeks and each time he was told that the workers would come and fix the excavation.
Langa also lamented the waste of millions of litres of clean water. “They tell us to conserve water and that water is a scarce resource in South Africa yet they, themselves, are wasting it. How can they expect an ordinary person to take them seriously on their messages of conserving water when they themselves are guilty of the waste and showing no concern and urgency in fixing the water leak.”
Spokesperson of Joburg Water, Eleanor Mavimbela, who was contacted on 5 May, said the excavation work was completed the following day, 6 May. “We sent a team on Friday and the job was completed,” she said.
