Residents speak out

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – Residents of Clubview have dismissed as futile the executive mayor of Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality Malekula Melato’s launch of a sewer spillage eradication project, citing failure to address the root course of the problem.

According to Mojalefa Tanyane of Mphatlalatsane who has experience working in sanitation, the problem that their community is facing of sewer spillages won’t be fixed by the municipality hiring contractors who only come once every few years to drain the main haul because this is not where the problem lies.

“Our community is suffering from a very serious sewer spillage problem, and it’s been over 12 years that we’ve been going to the municipality asking for help. The spillage flows into our yards when the main haul overflows, and I have dug a tunnel so that the sewerage can stop entering my yard and the neighbours’ yards.

“The sewerage is threatening the structural safety of my house because the moisture is seeping into my walls. Sending a honey sucker occasionally doesn’t solve our problem because the spillage doesn’t stop. I have kids and this is a serious concern to me because of their health,” Tanyane said in an interview with The Guard.

Another resident, Teboho Moloi shared the same sentiments when he said sending a honey sucker occasionally is not the answer.
“I do not agree with what is happing here today because it doesn’t solve our problem of sewerage spillage. I think what would help is if the municipality prioritises fixing the Phuthaditjhaba wastewater treatment plant nearby so that this problem gets a permanent solution,” Moloi said.

For her part Melato said: “Clubview is a community that is full of blocked sewerage systems and sewer spillages, and the stench here is very bad and this is very dangerous for our community’s health. During my 100 days programme I would like to deal with some of these spillages. We also visited the community of Mandela Park, and they are also suffering from blocked sewerages.

“I am happy today because this project is huge, and the technical team has reported to me that they have identified about 500 blockages that they are going to unblock. In response to the concerns of our residents I will suggest that we will arrange a community meeting where we can engage residents and hear their suggestions and I say that together we can do more.”

Hitting ground running Map executive mayor Malekula Melato visits service delivery projects as part of her 100 days in the office.

As part of her site visits Melato visited the Phuthaditjaba wastewater treatment plant where the MAPWater plant superintendent Tello Mphuti explained that through the Ministerial intervention programme, Vaal Central Water is busy and they are going to fix this plant so it can operate again; he pointed out that the municipality needs to prioritize security because residents also vandalize these premises.

At one of the stops that the executive mayor made during the launch of the sewerage spillage eradication programme, residents raised concerns about the lack of engagement with the community because sending a honey sucker now, is not the solution.

Melato embarked on a day long site visit of some communities that needed serious assistance with the eradication of sewerage spillages that are entering their yards and posing a very negative impact on their health. On 29 July this programme was launched, and the mayor also visited a site in Thaba Bosiu where a new water reticulation system is being installed so that water can be pumped from the Mangaung reservoir to residents of Thaba Bosiu and nearby areas.