Old Coronation – what a drain

The residents of Old Coronation might finally be free from the stench and pests of the septic water that, over two years, formed a make-shift dam that drowned people’s houses whole, after a drain was allegedly blocked off by the municipality and the site abandoned by contractors.

On Wednesday, July 24, WITBANK NEWS returned to Old Coronation after receiving reports that there were new contractors on site attempting to finally rectify the problem that has caused this community to suffer the effects of stagnant, disgusting, germ-ridden water that had nowhere to go but into people’s homes.

Upon arrival, it was noted that a contractor, who withheld their name, was attempting to unblock the drainage pipe that was identified as the main cause of the problem.

A hole, approximately 5m deep, had to be dug to get to the problematic pipe.

Furrows had also been dug with a TLB to start diverting the water away from homes and down to the main drainage pipe that was still functioning.

There was no estimate given of how long the unblocking and drainage process would take, nor could the contractor give any information regarding whether this would finally solve the problem of water damming up and becoming septic right in the heart of this community.

The community was happy to see that a contractor had been appointed to try and solve the problem but was annoyed that not one single person from the community had been employed to assist in the unblocking process.

They feel as if they should have been allowed to take part in restoring their community to a healthy environment.

“The community feels that perhaps the municipality should have engaged with us and employed some people from the community, as this problem directly affects us.

This would have ensured that there was proper community participation and that the people directly affected could take pride in rectifying the problem, as well as ensuring that the job gets done correctly this time, as we have a personal vested interest in fixing this serious problem before the next rainy season.

We are thankful the municipality has taken action, but interaction with the community would have been ideal,” commented one of the community leaders, Given Gaba.

“We are so happy that this might finally be the time the water gets drained away. This water has been making us all sick. It smells unpleasant and many people lost their homes and others live in fear that eventually their home will be underwater,” commented Johanna Mtsweni.

Community members are also dealing with doubt that this will be the last try to fix the problem, as there have been attempts before, but as soon as the contractors realise the extent and magnitude of the blockage, they abandon the job.

“The municipality has tried before to fix this problem and has made many promises to the community, but nothing was ever really fixed. We are hopeful that this time will be the last, but we are uncertain.

I have lived here for 15 years, and this problem has been a long time coming. Every year it gets worse when the rain starts, but now it is a complete disaster and the rain is around the corner,” said Johannes Malaza, a resident of Old Coronation.

Since the furrows have been dug to give the putrid water somewhere to go, things have improved at the small farm located in Old Coronation, as the animals no longer have access to the water.

“Things are a bit better since they have started digging to divert the water away from the farm and the animals,” farmworker Andries Mahlangu said.

Hopefully, this is the final time that the residents of Old Coronation have to be drained by sleepless nights, wondering when their home will be swallowed up by the ever-growing dam of diseased water.

The municipality was contacted for comment, but none was received by the time of going to print.

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