Residents of Phomolong, Chloorkop, who live on the corner of SM Songo Avenue and Samuel Street feel neglected by the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE).
DA PR councillors Debeilla Maserishane and Lucky Mokhoana, who serve on the water, sanitation and energy oversight committee, did an oversight visit in response to the community’s calls for help and to see the situation that is troubling residents living in the area.
Mokhoana said residents are forced to live in appalling conditions caused by a persistent sewerage leakage.
“The sewerage leak poses a health hazard to the residents, especially children who sometimes find themselves playing on the streets flooded by raw sewage. The sewerage leak is a symptom of a sewerage infrastructure that is facing near collapse.
“More worrying is the fact that pleas to the CoE by one particular resident, whose house is forever flooded with raw sewage to have the problem fixed, has fallen on deaf ears,” said Mokhoana.
The resident now fears that his house will have structural damage and collapse as the sewerage leak passes through his property.
“The sewerage leak is in its third week and it seems residents have given up hope of it ever getting fixed.
“Our attempts to lodge a query to the CoE Call Centre also drew a blank.
“We have two reference numbers to validate this but up to now no action has been taken to deal with the problem,” said Mokhoana.
The councillors said it is very clear that the CoE cares less about the well-being of its residents, especially the poorest of the poor.
“As the DA we will continue to champion the cause of the marginalised and the neglected in our midst. It is totally unacceptable that residents are forced to endure such inhumane and degrading conditions,” Mokhoana assured the community.
The Tembisan had asked for comment from the CoE who have requested the complaint reference numbers.
By the time of going to print the paper was still waiting for the reference numbers from the concerned community.
