The residents of Palmview, Phoenix, are crying out for help saying they that have been subjected to living in inhumane condition as the eThekwini Municipality continues to “ignore” the ongoing raw sewage leak that is flowing down the Ohlange River, for over a month.
The residents of Peace Palm, Easter Palm and neighbouring communities, have had to endure the pungent smell of raw human wastes flowing into the nearby river due to burst pipes, following the April flood disaster. Speaking to the Phoenix Tabloid, Palmview resident, Anitha Hariram, said since devastating floods in April, the Ohlanga River has still not received attention from the municipality.
“There’s raw sewage from washed away pipes flowing into the river which downstream becomes the Umhlanga Lagoon. If this was the situation in Umhlanga or Westville, the municipality would have responded immediately because of vocal pressure from those communities. Likewise, if this was happening in KwaMashu or uMlazi the municipality would have acted with speed because the local communities would burn tyres and block the main roads. The end of Peace Palm and Easter Palm has become a sight so appalling that residents cannot even have a decent meal due to the stench of raw sewage running right I front of their homes,” said Hariram.
She added: “This is an ecological disaster and the relevant council officials, councillors and the mayor himself must act now to resolve this matter, otherwise the community would be willing, I am told, to take the matter into their own hands.”
Another concerned resident, Anusha Naicker, said the sewage flow has become a health hazard. “I don’t understand why this matter has not been prioritised, more than a month later. We have been subjected to live in filth and inhumane conditions for far too long. The stench is so bad that even when I’m away from home, I can still smell it. The council’s lack of commitment and urgency in resolving this major issue is a slap in the face for the residents of Palmview.
Naicker added: “How much longer are we supposed to live like this. We are tired of living under such dirty conditions and demand the relevant departments to resolve this matter. We are ratepayers and need to be treated as such.”
Ward Councillor, Lyndal Singh, said she escalated the issue to the relevant departments, soon after the floods occurred. “While officials do respond, the turnaround time is far too slow. This matter has become a major health concern and while I do understand that there are processes to be followed, this is a serious issue that needed to be prioritised long ago. With the municipality being under resourced, matters that should be taking priority are sadly added to the hundreds of other service delivery backlogs which municipality is failing to manage.”
Cllr Singh said she was previously informed that the complaint was added on the priority list of storms damaged and would be attended as soon as the department gets authorisation. “The issue has been escalated to the deputy mayor, where I have requested his urgent intervention in the matter. I’m really hoping that something is done to resolve this problem expeditiously,” added Cllr Singh.
