ERMELO – A concerning situation has developed at the intersection of Church and Oosthuise streets, where homeless people have taken shelter inside the storm water drains.

Their presence, along with the debris, waste and fires being made within the drains, is exacerbating the drainage issues and raising safety concerns in an area already notorious for flooding during heavy rains.

Local business managers Zandré Lamprecht of 24 Motors and Magda Venter of the Oak Centre have expressed their frustration with the municipality’s handling of the situation.

“We have reported this issue repeatedly over the past two years,” said Lamprecht.

“Each morning we see an individual emerging from the drain, and on some occasions, he has gotten out naked.”

On November 15, another clean-up effort by municipal workers saw piles of trash, mattresses, blankets and burnt debris removed from the drains.

The following day, another homeless person was spotted occupying the drain again.

Venter commented: “It seems the municipality addresses the immediate symptoms of clearing debris but fails to resolve the core issue.”

Despite the clean-up efforts undertaken by businesses in the area, flooding continues to recur every rainy season.

Read the complete article in this week’s Highvelder