Hazardous trench in eMbalenhle still open after 2 years
The municipality's media liaison and content development officer, Donald Green, said the municipality notes with grave concern the reports of the open trench in the Chris Hani section (Ward 12) in eMbalenhle.
Residents of Chris Hani section in eMbalenhle have raised serious concerns over a huge trench they allege was dug by the Govan Mbeki Municipality and left open for almost two years, posing a danger to the community.
According to community members, the trench was dug after heavy rains caused flooding in the area. However, they claim it was never closed or secured after the work was done.
Residents say several people have fallen into the trench, although no fatalities have been reported so far.
They also expressed concerns about children’s safety, especially during rainy days when the area becomes more dangerous.
Thomas Mahlangu, a community member, said residents approached the municipality weeks after the trench was dug to raise concerns about public safety, but no action was taken.
“We reported this trench many times and asked the municipality, showing concern for our safety and that of our children, but it fell on deaf ears.
“As the trench is not far from a tavern, many people fall in when coming from the tavern intoxicated, especially at night, while criminals also take advantage of people trying to cross through this trench.
“Though it was dug for a good purpose during floods, it was supposed to be barricaded for days and then closed for community safety,” said Mahlangu.
Another resident, Lindiwe Mbonani, said the trench has also affected vehicle access to homes because it was dug across a road.
“Since the trench was dug, I can’t access my yard with my car because the trench is close to my yard gate. I always park my car at my neighbour’s place.
“It is difficult now because my neighbours have started to complain, and I don’t blame them because it has been almost two years since I have kept my car in their yards. What takes the municipality so long to fix the problem?” asked Mbonani.
The municipality’s media liaison and content development officer, Donald Green, said the municipality notes with grave concern the reports of the open trench in the Chris Hani section (Ward 12) in eMbalenhle.
Green said the municipality acknowledges the safety risks this has posed to residents and sincerely regrets any distress or injury caused by the delay in concluding this infrastructure project.
“The trench was originally excavated as an emergency intervention to mitigate severe flooding following heavy rainfall in the area.
“However, we acknowledge that the site has remained open for an unacceptable period. This delay was primarily due to budget reallocations and technical assessments required to ensure a permanent drainage solution rather than a temporary fix.
“In direct response to these concerns, Council has recently confirmed that Ward 12 is a primary beneficiary of the R5m Disaster Relief Fund allocated for flood-affected areas,” said Green.
Green also said the municipality’s technical teams, led by the MMC for Civil Engineering, Vusumuzi Mbokazi, are currently finalising a deployment schedule to address long-standing service backlogs in eMbalenhle, which include the securing and closure of hazardous excavations.
