Despite the fact that a contractor from the Merafong City Local Municipality, who was supposed to fix Fochville’s sewage problems, came and has since left, a sewage leak next to their working site has still not been addressed.

Sewage has been streaming from a manhole on the sidewalk next to a business on this street for more than a year.

Residents complained about the leak even before a municipal contractor started working in the street on the area’s major sewer outfall line last year.

Although they left the site around December, the leak has not been sorted. People who stay in the area have to drive through the stinking sewage every day.

So much sewage is leaking from the manhole that it flows down the street and into the veld, which affects pedestrians and even livestock grazing nearby.

So much sewage has been leaking from the site that it has also damaged the road surface. Because of the ongoing problems, the Herald frequently tries to get answers from the municipality’s marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani.

“The sewer spillage was due to a blockage on the old existing line. The matter has been prioritised, a jetting truck has been procured as the manual unblocking failed. The two existing old sewer pipes will still be in use; however, a certain sewer load will be diverted to the new line,” Fezani replied.

“The unblocking will resume and is anticipated to be completed by February 25,” he promised earlier in February.

By April 29, the problem had still not been attended to.

The Herald again asked the municipality when it would be attended to, but no answer was received by printing time.