Sand Street in Riverlea, Extension troubles residents as contaminated mine water mixed with rainwater and sewage seeped into the homes after the heavy rains.
“My children had to jump over the wall to get to school and they went to school without bread this morning because we could not go to the shop, I had to tell them to eat at the schools feeding scheme.
“We found a lot of worms on the stoep and there was a snake that was jumping around, my son killed it but even now as I stand here, I’m still scared,” explained Valerie Morris.
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This was the second time that the family finds a snake in the home.
“This is sewage water mixed with the water from the rain because the drains and sewer were blocked so everything came bubbling up. When the City of Joburg sends out people to come fix this sewer, they don’t want to fix ours because they say that it is not their responsibility. I told them that every time it rains this happens, the water all came up in my bath too,” she said.
Another resident by the name of Pamela Peters said: “I had to lift my yard so that the water and sewage do not get into my house. Most of our toilets are on the outsides so it makes it hard for us to go to the toilet during these floods but the lifting of the yard at least helped me. This is happening to us at least three or four times a year,” said Peters.
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The residents also mentioned that even if it doesn’t rain the sewer is always overflowing into her yard.
“We have been living like this for about twenty years but it got worse with this new road that they built for the FNB Stadium. We have rats and snakes that come into our yards and I have reported to the councillor but nothing has been done. We are living in a horrible state,” she added.
According to Ward Councillor, Basil Douglas there was a study that was done by the former regional director in Sand Street but it has been over a year now and there hasn’t been any solution for the residents in the street.
“I adopted this issue and I am frustrated because the council is failing Ward 68. They treating extension like a stepchild.
“I brought Mayor Herman Mashaba to the street and he said that he was going to sort it out, but nothing has been done.
“These officials need to held accountable. I cannot order around those who are higher than me, but I’m not sitting with my hands folded,” said the ward councillor.
With the heavy rains, Cecil Radley who is a member of the Riverlea Extension Community Committee (RECC) was worried that they might need an emergency evacuation as the water levels raised to their streets electrical power box.
Residents fear that they all going to be electrocuted in their homes as the water seeps into their living spaces.
