Sewage leaking into a river has Malanshof residents shutting their windows, covering their noses and begging for help from the municipality.
What makes matters worse is that access to the Klein Jukskei River is difficult so they are not sure if the two leaks they have found are the only ones currently. Several sewerage pipes cross the river in Randpark, Malanshof and Strijdom Park, and there have been periodic bursts over the past few years.
These force Janine Smith and her husband Lyndon to walk up and down the length of the river to find their exact locations.
“We reported this latest pipe on October 2. It was patched and now it has burst again, so it must have been a shoddy job,” Smith complained. She has sent the coordinates of the leak, as well as a secondary smaller leak nearby, to Joburg Water for repair.
Daniel du Plessis confirmed he was aware of at least one more sewage leak making residents gag in their own homes.
Malanshof Community Association leader Priscilla Cillie said, “I know of people whose nostrils are actually burning. They have to walk around with scarves over their faces. It cannot be healthy.”
Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer said there are ‘plenty of leaks’ in the river. “Joburg Water is not fixing them timely in the ward. Hill Street waited eight months for their repair,” she said, adding that she has escalated these latest leaks.
Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala was asked on October 12, when these latest leaks would be repaired. No comment was received by the time of going to print.
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