Tshwane metro repair blocked sewer
During the recent heavy rains, the metro’s team of technicians attend to most blockages as and when they were reported.
The Tshwane metro announced they are aware and have attended to a sewer that gets blocked regularly, which results in homes in Nellmapius flooding with human waste.
This follows pleas by a Nellmapius family with Tshwane metro to permanently unblock the sewer that has been making their lives miserable for years.
Fikile Dibakwane of extension 7 claimed to have reported the blocked Xenon Street sewer before the problem emanated from her neighbour’s house, who first reported it years ago.
She said sewage often floods her neighbour’s yard and then goes through her own yard where most of the faeces end up in a pool.
“We have been experiencing this for years and indeed when reported, the metro does attend to it, but the fact remains that two or four days later the sewer is blocked again,” said Dibakwane.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the blockage was caused by a stormwater ingress during the recent heavy rains.
He said there are times when the amount of rainfall would cause an overflow in the sewer line which will in turn spill into the residents’ yards.
“During the recent heavy rains, the City’s team of technicians attend to most blockages as and when they were reported and the said blockage was repaired on November 12,” he said.
Residents of Xenon Street want the problem permanently fixed and they have pleaded with the metro to at least look at a nearby manhole that they believe might be the problem.
“We believe the manhole is connected to the blocked sewer, but metro officials won’t listen to our cries.”
Dibakwane added she had watched her brick wall rot through the years, slowly being damaged bit by bit until it fell, all because of the blocked sewer.
She said she had spent a lot of money building the wall and won’t mind rebuilding it but knew sewage will definitely damage it again.
“Our health is at risk. We are worried about our health including that of children playing in the streets who might get sick from inhaling the stench or playing in the human waste pools in the streets,” she said.
She said she regularly visited the doctor because “we are getting sick from inhaling the stench”.
“When it rains the blockage worsens and sometimes we get trapped in our own houses,” she added.
“We are unable to breathe fresh air and our windows are closed at all times because of the bad smell.”
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