Tuberculosis patient Simphiwe Zwane, of Etwatwa Ext 36, has pleaded with the City of Ekurhuleni to find a permanent solution to a sewer problem that has plagued her family for the past five years.

Zwane said she had not breathed fresh air in years, describing her living conditions as unfit for human habitation and blaming the municipality for failing to resolve the problem.

“We’ve been reporting this problem for the past five years. The municipality would respond, send a team to inspect and then leave. They repeat the same thing every time we call them,” she said.

According to Zwane, sewage from blocked municipal manholes in the area regularly overflows into her yard and those of her neighbours, creating stagnant pools and exposing residents to what they fear are serious health hazards.

During a visit to the area on September 2, the air was thick with a foul stench, which Zwane said becomes worse during hot weather.

Dried toilet paper and debris were visible around a drain in her yard, while a trench had been dug to channel wastewater towards the street. Murky sewage water was also visible near the gate, with a large stagnant pool in the middle of the street.

Zwane, who was diagnosed with TB about three weeks ago, said the conditions had taken a serious toll on her health.

“It has affected me a lot. I’m not okay at all. The past three weeks have been tough,” she said.

Dressed in a nightgown and breathing heavily, Zwane pleaded with the city to intervene.

“Please find a permanent solution to this problem. If you are able to move us elsewhere temporarily while you fix it, you can do that. Our ward councillor must also stop being ignorant. We have been telling him about this, but he has done nothing.”

Her husband, Mandla, said repeated reports to the municipality had produced little more than temporary interventions, leaving residents to live in what he described as a degrading and unsafe environment.

Also Read: ‘I relieve myself in the veld’: Etwatwa residents desperate for sewer fix

“We have a four-year-old who was born around the time this started getting worse. She plays near the drain and ended up with sores in her mouth and on her lips. It’s affecting us a lot.

“Every time we report it, they tell us about a pump station. If the problem is the pump station, why are they not deploying engineers to fix it?

“The sewage from all the houses in this line ends up in my yard. I see things you would not want to see — sanitary pads, condoms and panty liners.

“My wife has contracted TB. The sewage is right at my front door and is affecting her health,” he said.

Four houses away, Jeanete Sulo has endured a similar problem for three years.

Sulo said she had repeatedly reported the overflowing sewage but that municipal officials would only visit, take photographs and leave without resolving the underlying problem.

“We have been forced to place a block to stop it from overflowing into the yard. The previous owner of the house dug a tunnel to channel the water into the street. I’ve reported it many times. They come, take photos and leave. They don’t fix it. We repair it ourselves,” she said.

Simon Sehume, who recently completed TB treatment, also blamed the persistent sewage problem for his illness.

“We report it, but they don’t respond immediately. We don’t know what to do when things are like this. We end up fixing it ourselves. It’s a problem in this area.

“They tell us the city only has one jet truck for the entire region. They don’t take care of us. We are sick because of this. I took my last TB treatment in April. I got sick because of the sewage,” he said.

Mandla called for urgent intervention, saying temporary repairs would not solve the problem.

“I’m pleading with the city to find a permanent solution. They have capable people. Those jet trucks must work.

“They came on Monday in response to our email and did the repairs. I’m telling you, the problem will return soon. It’s already coming out at my neighbours, which means the problem is still there,” he said.

Municipal response

City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini blamed the interruption of electricity to the pump station as the primary cause of the recurring sewer overflows in the area.

“The sewer line serving 11749 Mthombeni Street in Etwatwa Extension 10 is connected to and discharges into the pump station in Extension 10. The effective operation of the pump station is dependent on a reliable electricity supply from Eskom.

“Currently, the area has experienced electricity supply challenges, reportedly linked to illegal connections to the substation. These interruptions have affected the operation of the pump station, resulting in sewer overflows and difficulties for households upstream to discharge wastewater.

“To mitigate the impact of the electricity interruptions, the city has installed a generator to operate the pump station when Eskom power is unavailable. The pump station is currently operational, with diesel available for the generator,” Dlamini said.

On the long-term repairs and infrastructure upgrades planned for the area, Dlamini said there is a planned project to phase out the pump station and install a gravity line from Extension 10 pump station to Extension 18 pump station.

Dlamini added that the gravity line project is still at the planning stage and awaits the registration of a servitude.

Responding to whether the city has done any environmental assessment in the area and what measures have been taken to protect residents, particularly children, Dlamini said:

“The city has installed a generator to ensure that the pump station is operational continuously and also ensures that affected area is cleaned and sanitised to mitigate risk whereby the children might be exposed to the bacteria emerging from sewer spillages.”

Also Read: WATCH: Quick fixes won’t solve Mokgoba’s sewer crisis, residents say