Who must fix a dug up driveway?
Coming home from holiday was not only a sore sight for them but it was a huge obstacle getting into their yard.
When the eMalahleni Local Municipality dug up a homeowner’s driveway to repair a pipe, she was told that it was her responsibility to restore the sidewalk to its original state.
The resident, Ms Lia de la Hunt that resides in Culembourg Street, Die Heuwel numerously reported this problem to the municipality and almost after a month no one has come back to her.
“This pipe break occurred on August 13, according to my neighbours as I was away on holiday at the time. I received a video and photo from my neighbour informing me about what was happening in the street and my driveway,” she said.
Coming home from holiday was not only a sore sight for them but it was a huge obstacle getting into their yard.
According to her sources, the municipal workers came with a back actor and dug a ditch in the road and a large part of her driveway’s paving.
But instead of lifting her paving blocks and packing them aside for repairs, the municipal workers replaced the soil and backfilling along with the paving blocks.
“I reported it to our ward councillor and the municipality replied by saying it’s our own responsibility to repair our driveway,” she added.
She further stated that she does not have a problem fixing up her driveway but at least wants her paving blocks that were used to ‘level’ the area as the response of the municipality was;
“It is the owners own responsibility to reinstate their paving, driveways or sidewalks and not the responsibility of the municipality. We must only level the area properly.”
WITBANK NEWS went to the given address on Monday, August 30 just to see that the same pipe that was ‘repaired’ while damaging the resident’s paving – is still leaking as water flows down the road.
“They have done everything except properly levelling the surface. We could not even drive into the yard with our caravan and had to drive around the block and drive into the yard from the side of the pipe shaft driveway. They also pulled out all the fibre cables and left it just like that. That’s how incompetent our municipality’s workers are and we as residents just have to be satisfied and pay,” she said furiously.
WITBANK NEWS tried to get in contact with the municipality’s spokesperson, Mr Lebo Mofokeng to get the right procedures and bylaws on this complaint but could not get a comment.
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