The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) responded to sewer blockages after the DA accused the metro of failing to fix sewage leaks in Tembisa.
The EMM’s spokesperson, Mr Themba Gadebe, said no resources have been spared in addressing sewer blockages throughout the metro.
DA PR Councillor, Clr Phillip Thamahane, said he has submitted petitions to the municipality over the past four months calling on the EMM to address the sewage leakages in wards 10, 11 and 90 in Tembisa.
“To date, they have failed to permanently fix these leakages. Instead, municipal officials temporarily fix these spills, only for these to return a few days later.
“As a result, these spillages are a weekly occurrence and residents are forced to walk through sewage-filled streets on a regular basis,” he said.
“In ward 11, next to the Umthmbeka Primary School, spillages have resulted in the school not being able to use the garden as the sewage leaks onto the property. This poses a major health risk for learners and teachers at the school,” said Clr Thamahane.
“In August, after the DA tested the water of the Kaalspruit in Tembisa and found that the water contains a high level of harmful bacteria, mainly due to faecal contamination, Mr Gadebe conceded that the metro’s infrastructure needs to be upgraded and better maintained.
“Yet nothing has been done about the aging sewerage infrastructure in Tembisa,” he said.
“Most of the sewer blockages in Tembisa are as a result of vandalism and foreign objects thrown in the sewer pipes including rocks, boulders and tyres,” said Mr Gadebe.
