House on water line in Zithobeni blocks flow to rest

Part of a self-made brick house was torn down to give municipal workers access to a leaking water line in Ext 1 of Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, on February 16.

Taps in the area were dry for about three days while City of Tshwane (CoT) employees searched for an answer last week.

Not only did they trace the problem to a leak on the water supply line, but they found that a house had been built on top of the asbestos pipe.

According to the head of Region 7, Jabu Mabona, the house was an illegal structure built on top of municipal infrastructure. He said the family who had built the house claimed to be unaware of the municipal water pipe running beneath their home.

“The problem dates back to the early 2000s during the Kungwini administration before Bronkhorstspruit became part of the CoT when a former councillor appointed this stand to the family,” explained Mabona.

Municipal workers moved in with equipment and a TLB on Sunday to replace 18m of the water pipe under the house.

Mabona said the water had since been restored, but he and the ward councillor for Bronkhorstspruit, Vusi Mabena, have discussed relocation with the family.

“There is no other option,” said Mabona.

An investigation revealed that several families were settled in incorrectly appointed spaces back in the day. Mabona’s team is double-checking if more illegal structures were built on the pipeline to prevent a similar situation.