GMM contractor left open dangerous trenches in eMbalenhle’s Ext 22
According to the residents, it has been weeks since the trenches were excavated and no one wants to take responsibility.
Residents of Azania informal settlement in Ext 22 accused the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) of putting their lives in danger after a contractor left behind large open and unbarricaded trenches.
According to the residents, it has been weeks since the trenches were excavated and no one wants to take responsibility.
Paulos Thwala, a community leader in Azania, said at first the residents did not want the municipality to continue with the project because they wanted to install pipes from the sewer pump station to the Welas River. Later, the municipality informed residents they were building stormwater channels to direct stormwater to the river to prevent floods.
“Our municipality is dishonest and is lying to us. If they were building stormwater channels, why did the project begin at our sewer pump station? They want to contaminate the Welas River.
“Maybe it was not enough to be fined for contaminating water sources and they want the court to increase that fine.
“Our lives and children are in danger because of these excavated trenches. It has been weeks since the contractor stopped work and left these unbarricaded trenches dangerous to us, ” said Thwala.
According to him, the contractor also dumped soil heaps near shacks despite being asked by residents to stop.
The community believe criminals will use these heaps as cover.
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“We asked the contractor to dump the soil as the sewerage rivers are being used by our children as swimming pools but nothing happened,” said Thwala.
He said they want the contractor to close those trenches before children or other community members can fall in and die.
Thwala said because they are also getting water from communal taps, it is now difficult for them to use their wheelbarrows to fetch water because the project caused a muddy road.
The executive mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, confirmed the municipality was building stormwater channels at Ext 22 because residents always complain when rainwater flows into their homes.
Zuma said it is not good for the contractor to leave open trenches within the community. He instructed the municipal manager to attend to the problem and ask the contractor to barricade those trenches for community safety.
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