By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – The home of a resident in Tebang, Qwaqwa, was extensively damaged after an underground water pipe burst beneath one of the rooms.
Speaking to the media, the home owner Sebuti Radede said: “I heard a loud noise and rumbling from one of the rooms. Then suddenly there was an explosion, and the house was flooded. We had to remove the furniture from the house.”
MAPWater communications manager Kelopile Matjale said: “We as MAPWater are going to have to notify residents of a water interruption while we assess the damage that has been done as we prepare our team to fix the damaged water infrastructure. It is very unfortunate that the municipality cannot be held liable for the damage to the house.”
She explained that underground water infrastructure runs through various parts of the community, and in some cases, construction directly above these pipelines can lead to severe damage if pipes burst.
Ward committee member Nthabiseng Moloi described the incident as both sad and preventable. “This is a very unfortunate situation that could have been avoided. I blame traditional leaders for allocating unsuitable land to our people without checking where the water infrastructure is. All this could have been prevented,” Moloi said.
Matjale added: “Our acting CEO, Mr Mkaza, plans to meet with traditional leaders and residents, with the aim to create a working partnership with traditional leaders so that when a PTO is given, residents can come to MAPWater to check and confirm where water pipes are running underground before building.”
MAPWater says the collaboration will help protect homes, safeguard infrastructure, and reduce costly losses for residents.
