Hlobane community counts the days till open sewer claims the life of another child

MEMBERS of the Cliffdale community in Hlobane live in constant overuse of their gag reflexes with an open sewerage system just outside their homes.

According to Mr Thami Magubane, a member of this community, two children and a cow have drowned in this open sewer.

“Every day we live in fear of whether or not we are going to hear news of another person drowning in this sewer system. We tried to get assistance from the municipality but after our attempts proved futile, we decided to write to the Department of Water and Sanitation,” said Mr Magubane.

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DWS officials are said to have surveyed the area and come up with the report that the area needed to be fenced as it was posing a health hazard to the people living around it.

Mr Magubane said that this was in November last year and they are still waiting to know what is the way forward.

Cliffdale previously fell under Macro-Property (a former mine) before being handed over to AbaQulusi Municipality after the mines were closed.

This is how the area has a sewer system right in the middle of the community, the planning was not done by the municipality.

AbaQulusi Municipality was contacted with regards to the matter, the Vryheid Herald is awaiting a response.