WHITE RIVER – The DA immediately called the municipality to attend to this ghastly problem. “This has become a virtual daily occurrence in White River,”says Trudi Grové Morgan, DA councillor. “We have been addressing the sewerage problems with the municipality over the past two years. Yet nothing has been done to solve the on-going spillage in areas all over our town.”
According to Grové the existing system is outdated and cannot cope with the expansion and development of White River. “We know for a fact that the municipality allocated a budget in 2012 as well as this year for its upgrading. Yet nothing has been done to implement the required repairs. It appears that, although a budget allocation was made for the upgrade, it was never put out to tender.”
The DA has repeatedly taken up the problematic situation with the municipality, in particular with the sewerage manager Mr Louis Sibuye. Although the DA was promised that a team would be sent out to attend to the problem, this was never done. Sibuye also promised feedback, which has never been received.
Residents are fed up with the situation and are now putting pressure on the Ratepayers Association to establish a trust into which their rates and taxes can be paid. “They feel that such a step would force the municipality into action, says Piet Skead, chairman of the association. “We also suspect that the municipal workers responsible for the repairs of the system, do not have the necessary equipment for the job.
As to a possible way forward Skead had the following to say, “The only way this can be resolved is to get the municipality, the rate payers and the ratepayers association to sit around a table and find a solution to the problem.”
