Kamva Mokoena

Kamva Mokoena

People's lives are at risk as fears of a possible typhoid and cholera outbreak escalate because broken sewer pipes remain unfixed and flow into local rivers and on the streets.

Residents of Kokstad say five sewerage systems and water pipes leak continuously, some since 2002.

They say the problem started when Sisonke district municipality took control of sanitation and water.

Resident Mzuvukile Poni said the worst part of it was that children play near the overflowing sewers.

"We report these problems to our councillors but they cannot do anything because it is not the responsibility of the local municipality," said Poni.

"They refer us to Sisonke district municipality, which is more than 100km away. When we phone them we don't get direct answers," he added.

This has infuriated the Sisonke mayor, Patrick Khoza, who said: "I have just asked the municipal spokesman, Ndabezitha Ntenza, to go to Kokstad and witness this and I also asked managers responsible to write me a report."

Ntenza said the situation in Kokstad was "not good at all" but would not comment further as he said he still had to table a report to the mayor.