'We lock our doors to keep the stench away'
Residents of Thembelihle in Vrede, Free State, have lost hope that the Phumelela local municipality would fix manholes leaking sewage waste into their yards.
BAD STATE: Elizabeth Mokoena near a leaking manhole in her yard. The manhole has been leaking for a while now and her husband had dug trenches to divert the flow on to the street after it had flooded her house. Some manholes in the area are covered with large rocks to avoid them from leaking or bursting open. Some manholes in their yards have been leaking for a long time, residents said.
Thabisile Tshabalala said the manhole in her parental yard had been leaking for a year now.
"We don't know what to do. We always lock our doors to prevent our children from going out and the smell from coming in," she said.
Her neighbour Phindile Tsotetsi said the waste flowed into her house.
"You can see how wet our yard is. The manhole is in front of our kitchen door. When it is worse, it just flows into the house," said Tsotetsi.
Elizabeth Mokoena lives two houses from there. A manhole in her yard has burst open - allegedly years ago - and her husband has dug a trench to allow the waste to flow on to the street.
"Since he made a trench last month, it is better. My yard and house were flooded and the stench was unbearable. We can't eat and cook when the stench is at its worst. Young children play near the manhole and I am worried about their health," said Mokoena.
The Free State department of cooperative governance, traditional affairs and human settlements failed to respond to enquiries.
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Pointman
They should approach the legal aid board to employ a lawyer to sue the municipality for trampling on their human rights. Someone should inform Malema - here is a real cause for him to take up.Report Abuse
MommaC
Get some bags, fill them with the smelliest samples, take them down to Arce's house and chuck them. That should get a reaction :)Report Abuse
ancnduntsu
That serves u ryt. You vote for the anc ,you'll get the middle finger. Come 2014 you'll vote for the same imbeciles again. Aluta continua!!!Report Abuse
jerico
that place is very much similar to JOZI.Report Abuse
goodvibes
#dead by .." we lock our door to prevent the smell from coming in"... really, does it work?
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babyfats
this is really sad & kusekhaya lapho Mr Motaung (mayor) please do something des nothing good ever happened de everything de is a mess to get de RDP house u must pay amount of R1500 really izinto azihambi kahle eVrede i thnk Thuli Madonsela can do something about dis she's de only one who understand community problems so farReport Abuse
Shredder
@MommaCGet some bags, fill them with the smelliest samples, take them down to Arce's house and chuck them. That should get a reaction :)
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I support this idea, than to burn the councilor's house. If he smells the stench he will act.
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madimetsha
We don't know what to do. We always lock our doors to prevent our children from going out and the smell from coming in," she said.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
is closing your door not enough to keep the stench away,do they really have to lock it? does the stench open it if its only closed?
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MotheoM
This is my home town and this has been happening for quite some time now. It is very much evident that the Phumelela Municipality will never serve the people of Thembalihle. The Mayor (Mr. Motaung) is my former Mathematics Teacher who was doing pretty well as a Teacher than now as the Mayor as he doesn't understand how people's needs are prioritized. All they care about is to enrich themselves and their peers. This is disgusting.Report Abuse
ntshware-ke-yawa
eish I feel for them coz really their lives are in danger.Remember with that stench,you can't sleep at night,you can't eat during the day,you can't hang outside for fresh air,you are just a slave at your own house.Report Abuse
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