Weeks of unhappiness came to an abrupt end for the Mooi family in Gugulethu after council workers fixed a blocked sewer, that affected their lives, on Monday 11 August. This after City Vision visited his house earlier in the day and brought the matter to the attention of the Fezeka municipal office.
Last week, a distraught Themba Mooi reached out to City Vision for help, claiming that numerous attempts to have the sewer fixed fell on deaf ears.
The NY 8 resident said his problems started at the beginning of last month. Every time he reported the problem, he said he was issued a new reference number. The matter remained unresolved while his family faced a threat of airborne diseases from the stagnant water in his backyard due to the blockage.
In an interview with City Vision at his home on Monday, Mooi expressed his frustration with the lack of support from the municipality.
“I went to Fezeka five times since the drain blocked. Every time I went there, they would look at my reference number and punch it into the computer and tell me to go home to wait for the truck to come and fix it. Some of the employees even know me. For example, the last time I went there on Wednesday 7 August, I was standing in the queue with other people. One of the employees came straight to me and asked me if I came for the same thing. She then took my reference number and went inside her office, when she came back, she said I must go and wait for the municipality truck to come to my house,” explained Mooi.
He complained about the unbearable stench coming from the dirty water citing that the smell could negatively affect their lives.
“I suspect that the pipe which goes underground from my neighbour’s kitchen sink is blocked, and the dirty water can’t flow through to the drain. Understand that our houses were built during the apartheid era. The pipes from my kitchen sink together with my neighbour’s sink are connected and they are discarding the water in a single drain,” he explained, adding that the main drain is in his yard.
Following the interview, City Vision drove to the municipal office with Mooi for clarity regarding some of his claims.
Fezeka Municipality manager Gcobani Bobo referred the matter to his clerk for assistance. She indicated that Mooi’s reference number had been closed and created a new reference number. She promised that a team would be at Mooi’s house within 72 hours.
On Tuesday 12 August Mooi confirmed to City Vision that the problem was fixed later on Monday.
