Family pleads with Tshwane metro to fix sewer
The metro says it is aware of the matter after residents voiced that the situation was getting out of hand after a four-year-old child nearly lost his life when he fell in an area where the sewer mess had created a ditch.
A family in Mamelodi West, Section D6, has accused the Tshwane metro of neglecting it after it failed to repair a stinky sewer that has been spilling excrement for almost two years.
Lesego Nthodi said the spill has been reported to the metro on more than occasions this year, and this is actually the main sewer line for the two local schools and some homes in the area.
She said the situation is getting out of hand because not long ago, a four-year-old child nearly lost his life after falling into a bank created by the spill.
“The child was hospitalised for a week for a lung infection and diarrhoea and the second victim was a 23-year-old man who got sick from breathing in the bad smell,” said Nthodi.
She claimed the metro told her to hire a private plumber as it only unblocks sewers in the streets, not the yard.
She also claimed that seven years ago, people had invaded her land and built on it, including a church and a house as well as illegally connected to water and electricity.
Nthodi said as a result the family’s electricity and water bills were skyrocketing.
“We have tried to remove the people from our land, but we could not because of the previous ward councillors who illegally sold pieces of their land,” she said.
The current ward councillor was informed about the blocked sewer which they attended to but could not fix, as well as the land invaders, which he did not address.
“We [residents] are forced to keep our windows closed at all times because of the bad smell,” Nthodi said.
“Our health is at risk. We continually go to the doctor because we are getting sick from inhaling the bad smell from our neighbour’s blocked sewer.”
EFF councillor in Ward 23 Martha Mokabane said they have decided to intervene because a child almost lost his life.
She said they have escalated the matter to the PR councillor to intervene, and hopefully the matter will soon be resolved.
“The issue of a blocked sewer has escalated to the nearby school, where the bathrooms are spilling too,” said Mokabane.
Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo said the metro is aware of the matter officially reported on April 4.
Mashigo said customers should always request a reference number when reporting a complaint.
“Sewer blockages on the municipal main line are the city’s responsibility and blockages between the rodding eye [removable cover] and the client’s house is the client’s responsibility,” said Mashigo.
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