SST shack dwellers in Town Two evacuated their homes after a burst pipe caused flooding and a sinkhole in the area on Monday, 29 June.
The residents lambasted the City, accusing it of negligence after it failed to relocate them to a safe place. At least 15 shacks were affected by the incident.
Resident describes returning to a sewage-filled shack
One of the flood victims, Nolethu Kowa, said she returned to her shack on Wednesday, 1 July after the incident.
“There was sewage everywhere. Our shacks were flooded. I left my shack on Monday, 29 June, because it was damp and it stank. I was sleeping at my friend’s shack,” said Kowa. She said all she needs is a proper place to stay, adding that the City had vowed to find a safe place but they are still waiting.
SANCO blames ageing underground infrastructure for Town Two burst pipe
SST South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) chair Lubabalo Msutu described the incident as a mess, saying they are concerned about the lives of residents. He suspects that old underground infrastructure is the main cause.
“It has been three years of people here sinking into sinkholes. The City is aware of that. Last year, the City relocated only 32 shacks from here to the open space along Spine Road, opposite Embengweni Tshisanyama. We want all the people from here to be relocated to a safe place,” said Msutu.
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He added that when the City relocated other residents in December last year, it left the sinkholes open, posing a danger to children in the area. Msutu urged the City to speed up the process.
Ward 93 councillor calls for urgent response to SST sinkhole crisis
Ward 93 councillor Thando Pimpi said he informed City officials about the crisis on Tuesday, 30 June. However, he stated that officials had not yet arrived to assess the damage, citing security concerns.
“The City officials said they are waiting for Law Enforcement officers to accompany them. We are still waiting for them. But the problem here is the old underground infrastructure that needs to be replaced. It is not the first time such an incident has occurred in that area,” said Pimpi.
He also criticised some of the community members for making things worse by illegally installing flushing toilets connected to the sewage pipes in the area.
