On Sunday, November 30 a water pipe burst in Tasbet Extension 2. The municipality was contacted and the pipe was repaired, however the hole that was dug was not covered up and Ms Nicolene Steyn still had no water supply to her home.
That Monday morning her husband checked to make sure that the main valve to their home was open, which it was, yet there was still no water.
“I posted numerous posts on Theo van Vuuren’s Facebook page but got no reply,” said Steyn.
On Tuesday, December 2 she contacted the municipality and lodged a complaint. They told her that they would send a team out to fix the problem, at the time she received a reply on Facebook saying that the complaint had been lodged and would be tended to.
“Wednesday I posted photos on Witbank Wall of Shame and Fame on Facebook and got ‘Gerhard’s’ number from there. I sent him my complaint and photos, he sent it through to the woman to send it to the teams,” she said.
That afternoon the man contacted her to find out if her water has been restored, which it hadn’t. He then suggested that when she sees one of the teams that she should ask them to fix it.
Thursday there was another pipe leak in Balalaika Street and when the team came to open the water after it was fixed, Steyn asked them to restore her water.
“The man from the team said that they did not even know we didn’t have water, they then went to our water meter and about five minutes later we had water. What the problem was I don’t know as I didn’t have a chance to ask them,” said Steyn.
On December 10 another team came out to fill the hole that had been previously dug but didn’t fill it completely.
“I posted photos on the municipality watchdog’s Facebook page and they did follow up with Mr Van Vuuren. He replied and said in short that he apologises and is very unhappy with how my issue was handled,” said Steyn.
To date the hole is still not filled properly and there is a power cable protruding from the ground, Steyn fears that it might be live and pose a risk.
The Emalahleni Municipality was contacted for comment but have yet to respond in time for print.
