FOR four months now, residents of Perlemoen street in Meerensee have been forced to live with raw sewage flowing down the road and into the stormwater drains.

The residents are at their wits end and gravely concerned about the potential health risk the sewage poses, apart from the permanent stench hanging in the air.

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A municipal repair team reportedly dug a hole to mend collapsed pipes in July, yet the problem persists.
Some residents say when they flush their toilets, it comes back up, while others have taken to wearing face masks to guard against the smell.

Having been a resident of Meerensee Ward 1 since 2016, Thevan Ton says he has never before witnessed the municipality failing to deliver services and delivering empty promises.

“This government is the worst we’ve ever had. The DM, MM and CM are aware but the problem continues,” said an obviously frustrated Ton.

Ton added that the latest ward meeting they had with the city official yesterday (Monday) concluded with the usual promise that the city was waiting for a ‘quotation’ to carry out the work.

Asked for the reasons for the delay in repairs to this ongoing issue, City of uMhlathuze communications manager Simphiwe Makhanya said he would liaise with the relevant department and revert to the Zululand Observer.

Read the full story in the ZO Weekender.

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