The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality in Mpumalanga has committed to fix leaking pipes that are causing raw sewage to spill into streets and homes in Malaynini section, Bushbuckridge. This follows residents’ complaints of an unbearable stench in the area. The community alleges that the local municipality is aware of their plight, but does nothing.
“The stench is unbearable. The children will get sick even the elders, we are now worried about coronavirus and now it’s the sewer spillage. You can’t even eat here. Where would we go because this is home, they should help us,” pleads resident, Herold Mashego.
He says they have been living with these unhealthy conditions for about two months.
Another resident, Kgomotso Malomane, claims to have written letters asking for assistance from the municipality without success. She says her daughter is now asthmatic as a result.
“It has been 3 years having this problem of sewerage, in and out of hospital for the baby girl. The problem is they don’t come she is asthmatic by now because of this thing; it is not because of the ground or what. It’s because of this thing, even us the elders, we can smell it; I am blocked.”
The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has acknowledged the sewer spillage in the area, but denied that it’s been continuing for two months. Spokesperson for the municipality, Claiton Khosa, says the mushrooming of houses in the area is to blame.
“It only started last week; we have been attending to the issue. The problem of buildings there has led to people building on top of the sewer and last week when our team went they had to dig mostly bricks and other materials, which is the cause we had to wait to get manpower from our regional office as we speak now the team is on site.”
The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality has warned communities against land invasions to avoid damaging existing infrastructure.
Raw sewage spills into residents’ yards in Bushbuckridge:
