POLOKWANE – Residents and businesses in the Ladine area will be relieved to know that the municipality has found the reason for the unbearable stench caused by the municipal sewerage works that has been a problem for more than a month.
However, the stench is not going to disappear overnight as, even though the engineers appointed by the municipality have found the problem, the municipality cannot confirm when the problem will be fixed.
Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, says the municipality will do its very best to make sure the problem is fixed as soon as possible.
“We are implementing recommendations from the engineers’ report to fix the problem at the plant,” Mothapo says. Businesses in the area say the horrible smell is bad for their image and affects their businesses negatively because clients are greeted by the terrible stench when they enter the area.
The businesses that are being negatively affected include Sasol Dendron and St Marco Hall. Employees of Sasol Dendron say they are not able to perform their duties due to the bad smell. The management of the filling station, who are also owners of a bed & breakfast in the area, say they are losing business. “We have people booking and then cancelling at the last moment when they visit the B&B and find the smell unbearable. This means that I am losing money and word is spreading that my B&B is a health risk and unclean because of the smell,” the owner, who did not want to be named, said.
St Marco Hall, which caters for many functions, has also been losing business because of the smell. A wedding was recently cancelled after the wedding party visited the venue and was overcome by the smell. According to the management of St Marco Hall, losing this booking cost them R160 000 in lost income. The management team say they are in the process of purchasing the property but now have their doubts.
Other complaints in the area include businesses having to close their doors for the day and sending employees home due to them suffering headaches and vomiting. Residents have also complained of illnesses, especially when it comes to their children.
Mothapo says the municipality apologises to the community for the smell.
