As you enter Tshwaro Kgosieng’s RDP yard in Mohlakeng, you cannot help but hold your nose. You do not want to breathe in the stench of the sewage that covers half her back yard.
The 43-year-old mother of two, who is raising a family on the same property, said even though she has been living there for a decade, she cannot get used to the pungent stench. She said it gets worse in summer.
We do not open any doors and windows, and we battle to eat our food,” she said.
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“Imagine living with this every f@#$ing day!” an angry Kgosieng said. She explained that she is constantly worried about her children’s health due to the conditions. “No one deserves living like this,” she lamented, adding that the sewage problems have robbed her family of enjoying their home. She said that the problem has been worsened by a blocked drain.
“Sometimes when I call the municipality it takes a week before they come. I got the contact details of the manager and communicated with him. However, he suddenly stopped responding to my calls. I believe he got tired of my problem,” she said.
According to Kgosieng the municipality told her that there is nothing they could do to solve her problems, as they were partly caused by faulty sewerage infrastructure.
“They told me instead of installing six pipes, they installed four. They also said that I should inform people in this street and find a way to buy additional pipes. I do not think they should make it my problem. It is their mistake and they need to fix it themselves.”
“I need someone to fix things; I honestly need help,” she said.
Kgosieng said she believes she is being treated unfairly as she always honours paying her municipal bills, but the service she gets is poor.
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