PINETOWN residents are living with exposed raw sewage flowing metres away from their house.
Hendrik Roux and Lieze Groesbeek, homeowners in Dove Road, Hatton Estates, are frustrated with the lack of response from the eThekwini Municipality.
First reported on April 30 and then repeatedly through multiple channels, including email, telephone calls and WhatsApp messages, the municipality has not replied to any of their complaints, nor attempted to fix the problem.
“We have reported, emailed and SMSed, and nothing happens,” says Roux. “I understand we are all dealing with the same flood-related issues, but it’s a pipe. It’s not a huge infrastructure issue. It’s only a pipe that’s broken farther up the river, which needs to be reconnected.”
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The river appears to be flowing freely with raw sewage, in a liquid and solid state. The smell is very strong and burns the eyes and throat when standing in proximity.
In addition to the unpleasant smell, the couple are concerned about the health risks, not only to themselves but also to their pets and the birdlife in the area.
Roux and Groesbeek estimate that a further 20 homes are affected by the polluted river, including a nearby crèche and children’s park.
“Other neighbours on the road have reported the problem to the municipality, but it doesn’t affect them as badly; our house is just a few metres from the river where it flows through our property,” the homeowner says.
This poor state of the river is due to unprecedented flood damage. KZN suffered devastating floods in April and May of 2022, in which over 400 people died, 40 000 homes were destroyed, and massive damage was done to infrastructure.
Roux explains that during the flooding, the water was waist-deep in his garden and his wife’s car had to be written off due to water damage.
eThekwini Municipality was unavailable for comment.
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