Atteridgeville family fears tragedy, home at risk from leak and giant tree
Authorities say a team will be sent to address the latest leak in the school premises, while funding is still being put together to remove the tree and restore safety in the household.
A concerned resident from Atteridgeville is pleading for urgent intervention as ongoing water leakage from Phuthaditshaba Primary School allegedly causes her home to flood.
Constance Munyai, who lives next to the school, said water has been continuously leaking from the school premises for several months.
According to her, the water flows directly into her yard whenever there is heavy usage or rainfall, creating muddy and unsafe conditions around her home.
“At some point, the flooding blocked the sewage drainage in my yard. There was so much water in my yard that my house was also flooding, ” she said.
Munyai is pleading with authorities to come fix the water issues before the rainy season returns, as the flooding increases when it rains.
Adding to her concerns is a massive tree located inside the school yard, close to the boundary wall separating the school from her home.
She fears the tree could collapse during strong winds or storms and fall onto her house.
“The tree is very big and dangerous. Every time there is wind or rain and thunderstorms, we become scared that it might fall on my house or injure someone,” Munyai said.
She is now calling on the school management and relevant municipal authorities to urgently inspect the situation, repair the leaking water infrastructure, and assess the safety of the tree before a tragedy occurs.
Munyai said community members have also expressed concern about the situation, saying the matter should be treated with urgency to prevent possible injuries, structural damage or health hazards caused by the constant flooding.
The spokesperson for the MEC of Education, Onwabile Lubhelwana, said that regarding the tree, they are still trying to secure funds to remove it.
“It’s a huge tree, it requires specialised services,” he added.
Lubhelwana said the school informed him that the initial water issue had been resolved, but there is now a new leak.
He stated that a team will be sent to attend to the matter as soon as possible.
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