Last week we published a photograph of a leaking sewerage drain in KaNyamazane which had caused so much of a stench in the township and it happened to draw an angry reaction from an official of Sembcorp-Silulumanzi who called yours truly and accused the newspaper of negative reporting.
For me, that was not negative reporting because that leakage was affecting people in the township and it was so visible that I found it strange that this institution hadn’t noticed it and fixed it even before we got there.
The said official went to the extent of further accusing us of recently reporting about a leaking bulk-water pipe in the township.
He denied that the said pipe was leaking and that it posed a danger to the community if it were to burst. We never said it had burst, but said that the community residing below the pipes complained to us that if it were to burst, it had the potential of causing severe damage to people’s houses, which was a fact.
If the official went there during the day, he wouldn’t have noted the danger it posed because then the water is shut off and is opened only in the evening – we have photographs taken during the night and also during the day to prove it.
All the official should have done was to fix the problem and stop hurling accusations at us. It is our sole duty as the media to bring to their attention such intimidating dangers to the community.
Another point is that this institution should revisit its communication with the community who should report such things to their office and get the problem fixed once and for all.
That last photograph got them into action as the MEC for cooperative governance, Ms Refilwe Mtsweni and the new executive mayor of Mbombela, Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi, immediately got into action and visited the site and the problem was fixed there and then.
They never called us to complain about it, but they fixed the problem.
As a precautionary measure, yours truly would like to appeal to the community to take note of all SembCorp-Silulumanzi contact details to which they can report their problems.
They are as follows: Head office telephone 013-752-6839; KaNyamazane Customer Care Centre situated at the KaNyamazane Shopping complex, 013-794-3340; Matsulu Customer Care Centre situated at the Matsulu municipal offices, 013-778-0089; Msogwaba Customer Care Centre situated at the Mbebe centre, 013-794-3340.
Their email address is enquiries-silulumanzi@sembcorp.com
