While driving from town down Harding Street towards Colita last week, I saw that a large portion of the level area on the left side of the road just before the bridge was covered in water.

As it was close to the site where the Shembe Church held its devotions, I investigated. I was shocked to discover that the wet area was actually an outflow from a burst sewer pipe. Judging by the amount of water, it must be a major break in the pipeline.

I had actually noticed that the ditch next to the road has been wet for some months, even in the drought we are experiencing. Surely the workers from Uthukela who live in Estcourt must know of this break. Why has it then not been fixed?

Faced with a severe drought, the officials from Uthukela District Municipality should realise that preventing the Bushmans River from even further sewerage pollution is in national interest. This spill, added to the major one further upstream where the sewage from Forderville runs freely into the river, means that the Little Bushmans River is now totally polluted with raw sewage.

Taking into account the slow flow of the river, one can accept that the flow of the river is actually sewage. The state of this river was brought to the attention of the national Water Affairs Department a year ago. To date nothing has been done.

Sandile Ndlovu
Democratic Alliance Councillor – Imbabazane