Randfontein residents have spoken out about what they called a ‘tsunami’ they have to deal with every time it rains due to blocked storm-water drains.
Donovan Cloete, DA councillor for Ward 20 said he has been taking up the issue of storm-water drains in Toekomsrus for a number of years. He took the Herald to a storm drain in Visrivier Street that floods with the slightest bit of rain.
“This drain has not been functional for the past eight years. It’s blocked and it can’t collect all the water from the surrounding streets,” he said.
The drain is located close to a house that regularly floods during heavy rains due to it being blocked. The resident of the yard has taken preventative measures such as making entry ways higher, but it still is not sufficient to prevent water from entering the home on the property.
To the dismay of the neighbour, a hole was made in the back yard wall in a bid to drain the water from the property.
When it rains, this house is under water. The water goes into the house and into the zozos at the back,” Cloete said.
He is appealing to the municipality for better drainage to be put implemented at the Visrivier and Peach Street intersection and at other locations he has identified as problem areas in Toekomsrus.
“A slit drain in the road would solve our problem. They should also unblock the drain on Visrivier Street regularly so we won’t sit with the problem anymore.”
Other residents in Peach Street, adjacent to Visrivier Street, complained about the same issue. Some of the homes visited still was drenched after some recent rainfall.
Another resident in Kocksoord has the same issue as the drain outside her house is blocked and the cement slabs are broken.
“When it rains, all you see are the little pieces of cement from the drain rubble sticking out. The water level rises and then overflows into my yard. We have had to redo the cement in my yard a few times because of the flooding.
If it rains heavily, the water floods my stoep,” said Charmaine Fritz.
Her stoep floods during heavy rain even though it is elevated off the ground.
She added that the flooding in the street can get so bad that motorists can’t drive on a section of the road, not only because of the water level, but also because of the massive potholes where it usually floods.
New drains have been placed on Kenneth Road in Greenhills but many other areas with even more serious flooding issues have yet to be tended to including Homestead Avenue outside the Randfontein Golf Club.
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