RESIDENTS of Phalama village in Mutale near Thohoyandou said they cannot live with the stench from a nearby sewage dam anymore.
According to the chairperson of the local Civic Association, Thiatu Tuwani, their complaints about the dam fell on deaf ears and villagers had lived with the stench for the past 19 years.
“They built the sewage dam here in 1995. When we complained, they said we shouldn’t worry, because they would move the dam soon. We are still waiting for the dam to be moved 19 years later and the sewage causes a health hazard,” he said.
According to Tuwani, the dam is surrounded by 70 households and four churches.
“We wrote several letters to the Mutale Municipality in 2012 and they did not respond. We also wrote letters to the Vhembe District Municipality and they also ignored us. We contacted the Limpopo premier’s office and they said they would fix our roads. We did not complain about roads,” he said.
Tuwani said residents went as far as to complain to the president’s office and received a reply that the sewage dam would be removed.
“Nothing happened. The sewage is still right here. We begged the Mutale Municipality to build a fence around the dam, because children could fall in and our livestock is dying from drinking the contaminated water,” he said.
“Shortly before the elections, we wanted to organise a protest march to the municipal offices in Mutale. The Vhembe mayor, Tshitereke Matibe, came to see us and assured us that the municipal budget made provision for moving the dam. He even signed a document. Now he doesn’t answer our telephone calls. We will march to the municipal offices on Saturday.”
Jacques Smalle, DA leader in Limpopo, said he would write a letter to the MEC for economic development, environment and tourism (Ledet), Seaparo Sekoati, to ask him to investigate the matter.
He said the sewage dam was a direct violation of the community’s right to a clean environment as stipulated in the South African Constitution.
“As soon as the portfolio committee on environmental affairs is convened, I will urge it to conduct an on-sight visit to this village to experience the stench for themselves.
“This committee must recommend that the MEC send and environmental inspectorate to investigate this matter,” he said.
“This village is exposed to mosquitoes and the bad stench coming out of the sewage dam in close proximity to the residential area. As a result, children often get sick and the village becomes unbearable to live in. Promises by the municipality to remove this sewage dam have come to naught. In terms of the National Environment Management Act, it is an offense to expose the community to such an environmental health hazard,” he said.
“The environmental inspectorate must investigate why the municipality failed to take positive steps to end this health risk. If any of the officials are in derelict of their duties, the law must take its course,” said Smalle.
Ledet spokesperson, Burckels Napo, told CV that the department would dispatch a team of environmental inspectors to investigate the effect of the sewage dam on the Phalama community.
“We will take appropriate action when we receive their report and recommendations.”
