By line: Andani Matumba

02 March 2022

Embalenhle Ex 18, 19 and 20 has been experiencing serious sewer spillages which floods the streets making it impossible for the people to access some of the streets in those sections of the township.  

In the 2020/2021 Presentation to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) dated 29 October 2020 and compiled by Cllr Nhlapo who was an Acting Executive Mayor at the time, a budget of 9 million was reserved for the maintenance of sewer line in eMbalenhle Ext 18 and 25 and yet the residence have not witnessed any development since the presentation was submitted.

The sewer water has encroached into some of the residents homes to their doorsteps.

The stench from the sewer water poses a serious health hazard to the affected households.

The residents say that through their councilors, the issue has been reported multiple times to the municipality but nothing has been done.

According to the residents of Ext 20, it has been three months since the water was drained from their streets by the municipality.

“No one ever returned to give us feedback on a long-term contingency plan which the municipality intends to implement or even to check on or follow up with the residents after sewer problems have been reported, not even our wards councillor,” said one of the residents.

She further stated that amongst all councillors and although he is not a ward councilor, PR Cllr Celobuhle Mtungwa is the one who often pays them a visit just to check-in on their personal well-being.

The rehabilitation of the road was promised to the community members of eMbalenhle through the 2020/2021 report to the NCOP which makes mention of a budget of R 5600 000 and yet the road project in  Chris Hani Section remains abandoned.

It has been two years since the project was initiated and a tender was advertised.

The said project site is attracting illegal dumpers who are turning the road into a dumping site.

Meanwhile, the entrance and the area surrounding Tsalanang Flats is also continuously turning into a dump.

It is alleged that the municipality has not made provision of the collection of garbage since December 2021.

Pigs seem to have made the entrance their habitat.

“We have reported the issue to the municipality but nothing has been done till to date and this is this place falls under the GMM Housing project.

The structures are delipidating and the water which runs around the street outside Tsalanang has remained unattended for a very long”, said Cllr Mandla (Rodger) Vilakadzi, ward councillor of ward 09.

Cllr Buthelezi said the residents of Tsalanang flats through their uncollected garbage into his ward.

Vilakazi further stated that he wishes that municipality would take their people seriously and make them their priority because those are the people that voted for them.

Despite being reported to the South African Human Rights Council and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry by the DA in 2017, uncontrollable sewage spills and incomplete road projects continue to be a nuisance to the community of Embalenhle.