The Democratic Alliance in a statement sent by Councillor Sibusiso Mokoena said: “The smell surrounding the area is unbearable, raw sewer flowing on the streets, even motorists are avoiding the area. According to residents, this has been going on for a while. Their cries about the conditions have fallen on deaf ears. In the same area, another manhole has been blocked since last year. The ANC claim to care about the poor, especially the most vulnerable, yet they continue to subject people to inhumane conditions such as this. It is the worse crime against humanity to live with a stench and raw sewer spewing and flowing right in front of your house and all over the streets.”
Cllr Mokoena, visited the site on Friday, where he found raw human waste spewing out of the manhole, flowing through out the main street.
“If there is one thing Emalahleni Municipality has succeeded in doing, it’s to create a situation of hopelessness in our communities. Residents feel frustrated because no one is listening to them. It is incomprehensible to think that the people who are supposed to fix this are getting paid for doing nothing.”
According to the DA on Friday, January 16 the Administrator, Mr Theo van Vuuren announced new appointments and additions to his team during Premier DD Mabuza’s visit to eMalahleni. The newly appointed Deputy Administrator is Mr Eric Ngomane, who must put the people of eMalahleni first and the appointment of Mr Elija Shongwe as acting Executive Director for waste and environmental management must deal with this unpleasant waste as it is causing environmental havoc for the residents of Hlalanikahle.
Cllr Mokoena said he would be writing an urgent letter to Mr Van Vuuren to give this matter urgent attention, failing which the DA will run a petition to force the municipality to act.
