In a winter of discontent, climaxed by early snowfalls, thunderstorms and gusty winds, residents across Westville got the short end of the stick from the discomfort of electricity outages, water cuts and uprooting of trees last week.
In some parts, residents were left high and dry when ageing water reticulation infrastructure collapsed in the midst of the first chilly spells of the upcoming wintry months. Home-owners and businesses frustrated and flummoxed by the overnight and early-morning blackouts as severe Arctic-type weather; driving and wind conditions gripped the Highway western areas of Durban. Up to Friday, day-time loadshedding at the Moses Mabhida Stadium’s People’s Park central venue for the roll-out of the government’s Covid-19 vaccination – affected hundreds of over-60s citizens of all race groups. Many sat patiently as Department of Health officials informed the jab recipients that the computer system was blacked out by Eskom’s power outage. Scores of residents took to social media, including WhatsApp groups to voice their discontent in text, photographs and graphic design artwork posters while others telephoned the eThekwini Municipality’s service hotlines and complained via emails.
In Dawncliffe, an upmarket suburb within the CBD, the municipality’s ageing asbestos-type underground pipes burst for the second time in the driveway of a home-owner in Vista Road and the homes within this vicinity were left without water overnight for almost 24 hours. On Thursday, a private plumbing contractor deployed three workmen to dig up the tarred driveway and extract the broken pipes before spending hours replacing the water line with new, hard plastic pipes and fittings. Rain hampered the repairs until the late afternoon. Burst pipes in other areas also resulted in low water pressure, and many residents were cautioned to switch off their domestic geysers as a result of the double-barreled challenges of loadshedding and water cuts. “With Eskom’s loadshedding 24/7, please remember to switch off all non-essential loads, for example, like swimming pool pumps, heaters, air-conditioners, geysers, dishwashers and tumble dryers to reduce the risk of an overload trip,’’ advised the Dawncliffe Open Chat WhatsApp group.
In adjoining streets, heavy rain and wind speeds felled many trees and jammed roads. By Saturday, crews from the municipality’s parks, electricity and roads departments arrived in full force to undertake repairs. In a cacophony of sound and noisy equipment, roadside trees and verge bushes were trimmed and cleared from tangling with the street electrical cables and poles. As a vigilant community, this WhatsApp message was forwarded several group participants: “ND 85320 white Mitsubishi bakkie driving around requesting access to check water pressure and water issues.’’ A resident concerned about criminals posing as bogus service contractors asked: “Can anyone confirm their presence as the bakkie is unmarked.’’ Then came this assurance: “If he wanted entry please allow him, you have low water pressure he wants to check.’’
On issues from water wastage to potholes on the roads, Mohamed Kharwa has come out strongly in his criticism of the municipality, saying it was taking the city five years to repair water leaks and potholes in Link Road, Westville, and he had also complained to ANC councillor Fawzia Peer: “Water leaks and potholes. After heavy rain this spot repeatedly has water leaking from underground. Probably because of a broken pipe and has formed a pothole where the water leaks out. This requires and engineering crew as it has happened repeatedly for many years and patching doesn’t work.” Queries were sent to EThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Musawakhe Mayisela for a response from the city hall.
