Officials leave mess behind
Jean Van Zyl has left a trail of emails trying to get assistance from the municipality but he says it did not resolve anything.
Manager of the Waterford Estate Jean van Zyl has tried everything in his power to make sure the sewage burst not far from the estate in Moroeladal extension 19 was fixed.
He said his concern is not only the stench that makes it hard for residents to enjoy fresh air but also because the sewage leaks into the river and harms the environment.
“This matter started on June 26, and is still running. Numerous emails have been sent, asking for urgent assistance. We have even cc’d our area ward councillor in the emails. He has been assisting us so much with escalation on all these matters.”
Van Zyl told Fourways Review that after their growing concern was reported, officials from the municipality came twice to the area to try and resolve it.
“We assisted in showing them where and what, and on both occasions, they told us they would approach the overflow from the other side, where access can be gained from the bottom of Perm Road. They unfortunately never returned on both occasions. It’s still flowing very badly to date.”
He said he feels sorry for those who live near the river. “My unfortunate residents that live on that river perimeter have an absolutely horrible time living day-to-day life with the stench and raw sewage running down the river. And it’s really not healthy for them and also the environment.”
This is not the first time that municipal officials have come to the area to restore service delivery issues, according to van Zyl.
In a separate incident, he said a pipe burst and a tar road collapsed at Solitaire Crescent. Van Zyl told us Joburg Water was informed about the issue two months ago.
“There was a city power cable fault and they dug up a small piece to fix the cable but discovered a water leak. A call was logged to Joburg Water. They came on March 14, 2023, and opened the road with a TLD. They completely destroyed four pavements and a manhole cover to open the road.”
He said the officials from the water utility were able to fix the pipe, however, they also left them with promises they could not deliver.
“They informed us that they would return to backfill again, compact, and reinstate the road as well as the pavements to its original state. Unfortunately, they never returned since. The road leads into five properties and makes it difficult for residents to access their properties.”
The media spokesperson of the water utility, Nolwazi Dlamini, acknowledged the receipt of our query, unfortunately, feedback was not provided by the time of going to print. We will update it as soon as it becomes available.
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