Uresolved issues at Bonaero Bird Park Sanctuary upset locals
“We have been fighting with the person running the contract since September 2022."
Unresolved issues at the Bonaero Bird Park Sanctuary have residents questioning if they will ever see an end to their dilemma.
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Dubbed ‘Poo Lake’ by residents, the wetland is continuously subjected to sewage spills.
“The wetlands used to be a place people would travel far and wide to see. We had flamingos and more, but now all we have is a lake of human waste,” said resident Sarah Smith.
She said the incomplete municipal project around the wetlands was the main factor in preventing the rehabilitation of the wetlands.
“There are so many aspects to this story which started with sewage flowing into residents’ homes.
“At one point, we involved the public protector, and they awarded a tender at a national level and allocated the funds,” said Smith.
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She added the unresolved issues in the area were harming the environment.
“Sewage flows in front of residents’ homes. We can’t have people over because of the smell of the wetlands.
“We have reported this matter to the City of Ekurhuleni and our ward councillor, but they only fix symptoms, not the problem,” Smith said.
She said when it rains, the sewage lines get so full they overflow into the street.
“We have been fighting with the person running the contract since September 2022.
“We want to know when are they going to come on site.
The person I was dealing with eventually told me that they were in a process of finalising the new contractor.
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“We still want to know what happened to the last contractor as they paid money for this project,” she said.
She added residents were told they would appoint a new contractor at the end of April.
“I don’t believe it and residents are now left with more questions. Why did the last contractor leave? Why didn’t the city sue the contractor for breach of contract?”
The Express sent an enquiry to the City of Ekurhuleni on April 17.
A comment was requested by April 24.
At the time of going to print, we received no comment.
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