Authorities engage with residents over sewage overflow problems
Several residents of town and Komatipoort shared their concerns and stinky sewage problems with representatives of the Human Rights Commission, who visited the two towns recently on an inspection.
MALALANE – Representatives of the Human Rights Commission visited town and Komatipoort on March 22 after being prompted by DA councillor Mariëtte Preddy.
Preddy has been attempting to solve this crisis for about 10 years now and lobbied the commission to attend to it urgently due to the amount of complaints she received.
A few Malalane residents spoke of streams of sewage flowing through their yards and homes, and even into the Crocodile River and nearby streams over the past few years.
READ: How to develop an eco-friendly garden
Fish Eagle Bend, the town’s lowest point, seems to have the most problems, with these stinky rivers negatively impacting several guest houses and lodges. Some residents even had to deal with sewage erupting from manholes and spewing into their garden.
Despite the regularity of the problem, several of the complainants stated that municipal workers do attend to the problems fairly quickly, in some cases within 30 minutes to an hour.
Representatives of the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency also accompanied the group and were the most concerned about, the town’s sewerage treatment plant. They stated that there is currently an overflow where there should not be, due to the town’s rapid growth.
READ: Water Wednesday: 5 facts about the water crisis around the world
The most shocking problem was in Komatipoort, where the sewers overflowed into the station and staff had to block their door with sandbags to prevent the pollutants from entering their offices.
One staff member pointed out the water damage to furniture, measuring about a hand from the floor, and explained that the mess had a negative effect on staff members’ health.
Farther down along the tracks on the premises, guards sat near a stream of stinking water flowing from outside onto the tracks. They said they were regularly exposed to the smell, especially if the nearby pump station was not working.
The representatives of the Human Rights Commission explained that they would be researching the issues and compiling their report in April. Thereafter, the parties involved, such as the municipality, will be called upon to comment on the report. Once the report has been approved, the recommended measures will need to be put in place to rectify the situation.
READ: Water Wednesday: Use water sparingly as winter approaches
Cyril Ripinga, spokesman of the Nkomazi Local Municipality, responded to enquiries by saying the municipality always responds to any complaints once reported. He stated that a number of sewage complaints had been addressed in Malalane and advised residents to continue reporting problems.
“It is worth noting that the more the town grows, the more the infrastructure is strained,” he said.
Ripinga also remarked that the mayor, Johan Mkhatshwa, led a municipal delegation to Komatipoort after receiving complaints from residents and a “number of interventions are taking place, including addressing sewer spillage”.
