Foul smell has Centurion residents worried
Some describing the smell as that of gas or oil, while others say they can smell sulphur or burning tyres.
Residents in the southwest of Centurion reported a foul smell in the air in the evening on Monday.
While the smell was not as severe on Wednesday morning, the residents reported that it was still present.
The residents took to social media to complain about the smell, with some saying it made them nauseous, while others complained of headaches, dizziness and itchy eyes.
Resident Lindi Botha said many residents told her about their experience.
“I can taste it in my mouth,” she told Rekord.
She said her eyes burned, her throat was scratchy, skin irritated, and she was nauseous, dizzy and had a headache.
She said other residents told her they were experiencing similar symptoms.
“I couldn’t drink water on Monday as the taste of gas was so strong in my mouth, I actually felt scared.”
Botha said another resident commented having a “rapid heartbeat” and “my daughter is ill and this is not helping her”.
“To what extent must taxpaying residents’ risk their health?” asked Botha.
Residents in Raslouw were worried about health risks as they said the smell was making them sick.
The smell has been described as gas, oil, sulphur, or burning tyres.
Ward 70 councillor Marika Kruger-Muller said she has received numerous complaints since Monday, January 8.
“The complaints of the smell stretched from Raslouw to Rooihuiskraal during the evening,” she said.
Kruger-Muller said Tshwane staff was in Sunderland Ridge on Tuesday morning, but did not find any irregularity at any of the companies residents suspected were to blame.
“There is currently an inspector in the area again, as complaints about the foul smell in the area have resumed,” she said on Tuesday afternoon.
She said the metro would investigate the source of the smell and then make a statement as soon as it had information available.
Air quality tracking site World Air Quality Index reported the air quality in Olievenhoutbosch on Wednesday morning as “unhealthy” with elevated particulate matter.
The metro had not responded to a Rekord request for comment at the time of publishing.
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