IS Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (BNLM) lying to the government about the precarious state of the town’s sewerage system?
This follows questions on the matter, taken to the National Assembly by Samantha Graham-Maré (MP), and posed to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, (DWS) Lindiwe Sisulu.
According to Graham-Maré, the municipality has failed miserably to address serious leaks from sewerage pump stations and overflowing manholes in the Sundays Riverbed, despite residents reporting it to local authorities repeatedly over a number of years.
“All the pumps are working”
Sisulu replied that the DWS issued BNLM with a directive dated November 4, 2019, to which the municipality responded on November 18, 2019, “confirming that all three sewage pump stations are repaired and (sic) operational 24 hours per day.”
But residents of Cypress Grove disagree.
“I have saved thousands of messages dated after November 18 on the municipal app where we report all the times we spoke to municipal officials to report overflow and stench,” said community activist, Annette Theron.
Several video clips taken by residents during the past week also show manholes pouring raw sewage into the riverbed at an alarming rate.
“We have been reliably informed that all the pumps are broken, and there has been no improvement in the situation,” Graham-Maré confirmed.
Overflow from a manhole at the Kroonvale bridge currently fills the riverbed from side to side with nothing but raw sewage, since the Nqweba dam has been completely empty since February 2019, and the dam hasn’t overflown in years.
As is the case at Tronkdrif, Kroonvale residents have no choice but to live with the unbearable stench, worsened by heat waves during the past few weeks. Sewage at the Kollie Koeberg stadium is running down the road for kilometres, while barefoot children make use of the stadium sport facilities on a daily base.
“Spill areas rehabilitated”
Graham-Maré also put questions to the minister about which methods of rehabilitation would be used to restore the areas affected by sewage spills.
Based on answers received from BNLM, Sisulu claimed that the municipality “has rehabilitated each site by removing solids, papers and screenings for safe disposal, disinfecting the sites and improving general housekeeping at all three sites to comply with industry norms and standards.”
“Again, not true,” said Theron.
Photographs taken through end November, December and as recently as Sunday, January 26, shows the riverbed at some places filled to capacity with solids from the manholes.
“I have asked the minister to consider a Section 154 intervention which would allow the DWS to take over administration and management of water and sanitation,” says Graham-Maré.
“The current leadership of the municipality is in total disarray. Pretty much everyone is only filling positions in an ‘acting’ capacity. There is no evidence anywhere that we have a mayor or leadership that care about this municipality.”
Komani-Karoo Express is expecting a response from newly appointed acting media liaison Edwardine Abader.
