“I reported the problem for the first time on December 11 and received a message stating the metro acknowledges the service request and reported the matter to the Water and Sanitation Department as well as a reference number,” says Ansie Labuschagne.
Nothing came of it and she reported it again on December 17 and received the same message including another reference number.
“The smell became unbearable and I was so frustrated as the metro did not seem to care about my emergency,” she adds.
On January 4 Labuschagne reported the matter again and the same happened, a message with a reference number followed her complaints.
The metro finally came to the party on January 16, and Labuschagne had to put in a day’s leave to enable the metro to gain entry to her premises.
The metro workers dug a hole next to the manhole which was already overflowing and informed her there is a possibility that the problem might be the Grootvlei Mine drainage problem and that might not be the only cause of this, but it might be the drain as well.
The next day the hole was filled to the top with sewage because the workers opened the hole, therefore the manhole on the premises was pumped full of sewage from the main pipeline.
“When I arrived home on January 17, I phoned the foreman again and explained the situation to him,” she adds.
Then only did he send out a team again who carried a bucket full of sewage from her premises to a trench in an open field opposite her house.
She says she thought the purpose of the trench was to allow rainwater to flow away from the street, as there are not stormwater drains in Dyer Street.
The trench is overgrown with grass and when it does rain, the water flows into the yards of the people in this street.
“For two weeks the metro promised the problem will be solved before January 22,” says Labuschagne, ” but more than one Wednesday has passed and the problem still exists.”
For this Strubenvale resident and her animals it is becoming a health risk.
She says the animals drink the water and it cannot be healthy at all.
The problem is now reaching its third month and she is fed-up.
The paving at the back of the premises was dug up by the metro and left as is and Labuschagne wants to know who is going to take responsibility for that.
Metro spokesman Themba Gadebe, says there was a huge problem at Labuscagne’s house.
The metro found a sewer manhole in the backyard that was full of roots and the roots were cleared and the problem was solved.
He promised the metro will repair the paving, but it is waiting for the ground to dry out.
He adds the complainant was informed about the whole procedure.
