Weeks later, still no action: Resident battles ongoing sewage leak in yard
A resident shared his grievances about a sewage leak in his yard that started in early July and remains unattended despite numerous promises.
Early in July, Bongani Mpete noticed a municipal sewerage manhole running through his yard was leaking. Despite numerous reports to the Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM), the situation remains unresolved.
Mpete initially called a private plumber to attend to the sewage leak, but he was informed they lacked the necessary equipment for such a job and needed to report it to the RWCLM. He then immediately went to the municipal offices and reported the matter. He was told workers would attend to the leak as soon as possible; however, after many trips to the municipal offices and phone calls, the issue persists.
On July 17, he was told the matter could not be attended to, as they were busy with Mandela Day preparations, and no one would be working that day.
“The situation is getting worse. The sewage runs from the back of my house to the front and out onto the street. It is a health risk, and I am concerned for my children,” said Mpete.
He added that he had reported the matter to his ward councillor, who had also reported it to the municipality, but with no success. He has sent letters of complaint to various departments; however, only one department acknowledged receipt of the email.
Phillip Montshiwa, RWCLM spokesperson, stated, “I would like to clarify that any claims regarding the closure of offices on Mandela Day are not accurate. The municipality is committed to providing services to the community without interruption, regardless of the day.”
However, Montshiwa did not respond to the Randfontein Herald’s queries about the leak.
