Several residents from the Qanduqandu informal settlement in Site B, Khayelitsha were forced out of their shacks by flooding on Saturday 29 August. Several drains burst in the area, leaving sewage floating around and affecting more than 50 shacks.
City Vision visited the area on Monday 31 August to witness the mess. On arrival, City employees with trucks were there trying to drain the sewage.
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The whole mess started on Saturday
Affected resident Nolwazi May described the conditions in the area as a mess. “The whole mess started on Saturday afternoon at C section. I heard people talking about the burst drain, but I took it for granted because it was a bit too far from where I am staying, in F section. By Saturday evening, the sewage was already spreading and approaching our section, and I couldn’t sleep.”
She said she had taken some of her belongings to be stored for a while at a friend’s temporary relocation area (TRA) to Spine Road and left her furniture and bed behind in her shack.
“Because there was no one to assist me with carrying the cupboard, couches, wardrobe and fridge I left them there. I put the fridge on top of the bed to prevent it from being damaged.” She urged the City to relocate them to a safe space.
Another resident, Nonkululeko Booi, said her shack stank. She said she was unable to take her belongings out because she wasn’t there when the whole mess started.
My shack was flooded’
“I was visiting my boyfriend in Langa on Friday 28 August. I was expected to come back on Sunday afternoon, 30 August. I received a call from one of my neighbours on Saturday evening, 29 August, telling me about the flooding and it was too late for me to come back. When I arrived on Sunday morning, my shack was flooded.” She said her fridge was damaged as were all her groceries.
Booi confessed she and others in the area knew the risks they were taking when erecting their shacks back in 2021, but they had nowhere else to go.
“We all knew that the area is a wetland, but the majority of us had no option because the landlords where we were renting were chasing us away because we were not working. We are appealing to the City to find us another option for somewhere to stay.”
Mayco member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the operational team was on site, working to clear the stubborn blockage and conducting over-pumping operations to manage the situation and reduce the impact on the community.
Vandalised manhole blamed for blockage
He said the sewer manhole was vandalised, which allowed sand, rags and other foreign objects to enter the sewer system.
“This directly resulted in the blockage and disrupted the operation of the sewer network. Due to the nature and extent of the blockage, it is not possible to provide a definitive time frame for the completion at this stage. The duration will depend on the conditions encountered during the clearing operation.”
However, Badroodien stated that the operational teams currently have no access to the affected area, which is preventing them from accessing the blockage and carrying out the necessary remedial work.
Structures built over sewer line hamper repairs
“The affected structures have been built directly over the sewer main line, preventing the City’s operational teams from safely accessing the infrastructure to do the necessary repairs and clear the blockage.”
He said the removal of the informal structures encroaching on the sewer infrastructure servitude must be prioritised as a matter of urgency. It is essential to enable the City’s operational teams to access the infrastructure and expedite the rehabilitation of the bulk sewer pipeline along the wetland stretch,” Badroodien said.
