• Anonymous writes:
At about 08:00 on October 14, I noticed that the main sewer manhole located in the back of our property at 6 Fisant Street, Helikon Park, was overflowing. This is on the main sewer line and not on our connection. This must have started during the night as by now the raw sewage is floating (literally) down Fisant Street and into the stormwater drains.
At about 16:00 on October 15, the situation remained unchanged and it was reported via the 107 centre eight times to no effect.
It was even reported to the councillor via WhatsApp on three occasions to no effect. He did not even read his emails yet he has provided feedback to the property agent that he was there, which is a blatant lie.
Out of desperation, we called out a private plumber who informed us they could not work on the municipal lines for various reasons.
The mess in my yard was unbelievable and the stench unimaginable. I have two small children and three dogs, which I have to take to my parents’ place for their health and well-being.
As I write this, we have had no further assistance or feedback from the municipality, and the ward councillor was also completely unsuccessful. The total time lapsed from the first report to resolution is more than four days.
What the hell are we paying massive rates and taxes for?
The Randfontein Herald has approached Rand West City Local Municipality for comment on the matter and will be published once received.
The resident has since informed the Herald on October 18 that the problem was eventually resolved at about 22:00 on October 17 after they contacted a private service provider on an emergency basis at a not-inconsiderable cost, which they say they will recover from the municipality through legal processes if need be. According to the family this service provider did not want to work on municipal infrastructure because of concerns that he might be held liable should something go wrong, but they managed to convince them. The problem was a massive blockage in the main sewer about 40m downstream from his house — Ed.
The councillor has since provided the Herald with the following response:
As the ward councillor for Helikon Park I was in touch with the resident from October 7 a number of times (I have the proof of all the WhatsApp messages).
I was in the street to check if the teams had been out and I have the photo evidence. I never received any e mail only WhatsApp messages. I fully understand the frustration of the resident and this is not the type of service we pay for with our rates and taxes.
The complaint was raised a number of times with the relevant department / manager and muncipal manager (all evidence has been saved).
One of the last messages I received from the resident was, “Jy kan vir die MM sê hulle kan ‘n rekening verwag, ek het mense oppad”.
