Burst pipe wreaks havoc in Pinetown home
The residents in Bradford Road have been left with a sinking driveway following a burst pipe outside their home.
A PINETOWN resident is experiencing difficulty driving in and out of his house due to the damage caused on his brick driveway by a burst water pipe.
Brian MacGregor, who has been trying to lodge a complaint with the eThekwini Municipality’s insurance department said he was concerned his issue would be filed behind a backlog dating back to 2019.
Recalling the day, MacGregor said the water running down his driveway, resulted from a burst water pipe outside his property in Bradford Road.
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From the damage and the sinkhole caused by the water, MacGregor said he suspects the water must have been running for many hours.
According to the resident, the plumbers arrived at 08:30 on 1 June and they were only able to switch off the main water valve at 11:45 as they experienced difficulty finding the valve which has been tarred over following a leak in Stapleton Road.
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The water was finally restored at 16:00 but then a truck with a hydraulic grab came to fill the sinkhole with rubble. “They did not have a whacker so the truck drove over it to compact it.
“When the truck driver drove away, the water started gushing out again, washing all the rubble and stones down my driveway. Fortunately, the plumbers were still on site and they switched off the water main again,” explained MacGregor.
The water running down the brick driveway has caused severe damage to the brick and has caused the driveway to sink.
Since the incident, MacGregor said he has submitted the claim forms and was promised that somebody will arrive to assess the damage and clean up the mess.
“It has become very dangerous to access my property. We just want the City to give us answers about what to do because we have called, sent emails, visited the municipal offices with no avail,” pleaded the resident.
Procedure to follow when lodging a claim
City head of communication, Msawakhe Mayisela said any person may lodge a claim against eThekwini Municipality for loss or damage that they allegedly suffered as a result of wrongdoing on the part of the municipality.
“For any claim to be successful, a claimant must prove negligence on the part of the municipality which resulted in the loss or damage.”
Mayisela stated that before any claim is settled, a full technical investigation report must be completed in respect of the circumstances that led to the damage.
“This report determines whether there has been negligence on the part of the municipality. If the findings show there has been such negligence, subject to specific conditions, the municipality will have to compensate those who suffered losses or damages.
He said eThekwini Municipality can only pay a claim where the circumstances of loss or damage reveal that the municipality acted negligently.
“If the claimant has proved his/her loss or damage; if the claimant has provided the proof of a fair and reasonable quantum; if no claim has been made and paid by personal insurance covering the same loss; and any other additional information requested has been received,” he said.
Claim forms are available from the Municipality’s Insurance Unit via email: claims@durban.gov.za Insurance claims enquiries can be directed to Insurance Manager Thulani Ntuli on 031 311 1552 or 031 311 1540.”
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