By Nkosenhle Sibisi
Frustrated Palmiet Road residents say they have had enough of the overflowing sewer drains which have not been attended to since March, despite being reported.
Residents from L-section informal settlement close to Mdakamfene River claim that eThekwini Municipality is failing them as they have to endure the unbearable stench coming from blocked sewer drains which overflow with faeces.
Mduduzi Zuma, a resident said that they have reported the issue several times and were given a reference number but nothing has been done to fix the problem.
“The issue of overflowing sewer drains is frustrating. Everyday we wake up to an unpleasant smell coming from the drains. Blocked drains have become a norm in our community since the heavy floods. What makes things worse is that they flow to the river nearby which makes the stench worse. We have reported this issue to the councillor and she said that the department is aware of problem that we are facing. We feel let down by those who are tasked with fixing this problem, when we protest, they will say we are crazy. All we want is proper service delivery because no one is supposed to live like this,” said Zuma.
Msawakhe Mayisela, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson said that when clogging of manholes is reported, the city usually mobilises a team with speed.
“Unfortunately, due to some residents in our community continuing to dispose alien objects in the system, these problems never cease. We are appealing to our residents to work with the City by ensuring that foreign objects do not enter the system.The matter has been escalated to the relevant department,” said Mayisela.
Alicia Kisson, ward 23 councillor said that she is aware of the issue faced by residents. She said that it has been reported several times to the department.
“Residents live in a deplorable state with the sewer running freely across their homes. I have still received no feedback from the department in regard to when this will be attended to despite my numerous queries,” said Kisson.
