Allegations that municipal contractors have remained unpaid since late last year have sparked outrage among Phoenix residents, who report that a reliance on cheap, substandard materials is leading to a cycle of failed repairs. The community claims that persistent water leaks are being repeatedly “patched” without any lasting solution, resulting in significant property damage and health risks.
The frustration is particularly acute in Earlmanor Place. Residents there assert that recurring leaks, some persisting for several years, have transformed their homes into unsafe and unhealthy environments despite constant reporting to the municipality.
Sandra Naidoo, 66, a local pensioner, described her daily struggle of living in a home surrounded by stagnant water due to an unresolved underground leak.
Naidoo said: “This underground leak has affected me for several years. I’ve reported it countless times; whenever they come out to fix it, by the next day the water is leaking again. It makes me question what is actually being fixed. My entire yard is waterlogged; I can’t even walk outside my property without getting my shoes messed. There’s stagnant water on both my front and back door. It’s become extremely difficult to live like this. I have a dog and it’s always running in mud; the environment has become very unhealthy. There’s mosquitoes, frogs, lizards and even rats all over. It’s not just uncomfortable, it’s a serious health concern especially at my age.”
Naidoo added that the issue is systemic throughout the street: “Every week there’s a leak in Earlmanor Place and we are so tired of complaining about these leaks continuously. I keep asking for help, but there’s no assistance at all.”
Sandra Rampersard, a resident of nine years, echoed these frustrations, detailing months-long delays in municipal responses. She noted that a major underground leak recently caused extensive damage to her tiles and furniture.
Rampersard said: “Everything we’ve worked so hard for is being destroyed daily. These conditions also took a toll on my health and I was in and out of hospital for three months. There’s mosquitoes everywhere and my 2-month-old granddaughter is being bitten every day. It’s heartbreaking and completely unfair for a baby to be exposed to this. We are tired of reporting and getting reference numbers but nothing changes. When officials do come out, they just patch up and go and we are faced with the same problem the next day.”
Community activist and ActionSA candidate for Ward 51, Vivian Pillay, stated that the situation in Earlmanor Place reflects a broader service delivery crisis in Phoenix involving potholes, non-functional streetlights, and electricity outages. He stressed that the recurring leaks point to poor workmanship and a pattern of short-term patchwork rather than durable solutions.
Pillay said: “The core issue here is not just the leaks themselves, but how they are being addressed. Teams are coming out, but the repairs are not holding. There’s a pattern of short-term patchwork instead of durable, long-term solutions. Contractors themselves have cited non-payment as a contributing factor. This is deeply concerning because it appears to be influencing the standard of work being carried out. If contractors are cutting costs to continue operating, residents are ultimately the ones who suffer.”
ActionSA Councillor Alice Govender further criticised the municipal response, describing Phoenix as “leaking like a sieve.” She noted that it frequently takes five attempts to fix a single leak and confirmed that contractors at repair sites have admitted to awaiting payment from the department.
Govender said: “We also need qualified contractors, using correct SABS approved materials. I believe Mr Ednick Msweli needs to revisit how faults are assessed and allocated for repairs.”
At the time of publication, the municipality had not responded to queries regarding the allegations of unpaid contractors or the ongoing water infrastructure crisis.
