With the ANC-led Tswhane Council failing in service delivery, Laudium residents are once more up in arms, as complaints continue to pour in, concerning non- functioning street lights, falling road signs, long grass on sidewalks, sewage blockages, ailing infrastructure, etc, etc.
This follows residents of 17th Avenue, in Laudium, this week expressing their frustration with the ongoing sewage leak from the Council manhole, saying that the problem re-occurs almost every month and seemingly the Council has no interest in fixing the problem permanently.
Fayaad Chetty, a resident of 17th Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “This problem of leakage from the manhole in our street is extremely problematic, as it has been happening almost each and every month. The council sends people who only carry out temporary work to fix the issue and then after a few days, the drain is blocked again and the leakage returns again. We are genuinely frustrated and deeply annoyed by the level of poor service that we are receiving from the Council because what is happening here is simply not acceptable. The smell that comes from the leaking drain, the flies that gather around it and the unhygienic conditions we are forced to live with, are absolutely unbearable. No community deserves to live in such conditions and we cannot continue like this forever. The situation has reached a point where residents in our area feel completely neglected, as if our concerns mean nothing to those responsible for maintaining essential infrastructure. Every month we report the same problem to the Council and the office of Cllr Patel and every month we see the same short-term response, with no long-term or permanent solution provided. Service delivery is failing. It feels as though the authorities are only patching the problem just enough to say they attended to it, even though everyone knows that the repair will not last. The constant overflowing, the foul odour spreading through the street and the health risks posed to families, especially children and elderly residents, are becoming unbearable. Many residents are now worried about potential diseases, contamination and the long-term impact of being exposed to such unhygienic conditions. What makes the situation even more disappointing is the lack of urgency shown by those in leadership positions. Communities rely on their Councillor and officials to protect their well being, yet in this case, the response has been slow and insufficient. Residents feel let down and believe that better leadership is urgently needed in the community. Leadership that listens, that understands people’s day-to-day struggles and that works pro-actively to prevent problems instead of repeatedly applying temporary fixes. The people of 17th Avenue deserve a safe, clean and healthy environment, not a street that constantly smells disgusting and attracts flies. This ongoing issue needs to be addressed permanently and the community hopes that the authorities will finally take responsibility and deliver a proper solution before the situation becomes even worse.”
17th Avenue shopkeeper, Alex Ashe, told the Laudium Sun, “The situation here is really terrible and we cannot live or work like this anymore. The continuous smell that comes from the sewerage drain manhole is unbearable and the level of dirtiness spreading across the pavement and the road is completely unacceptable. This problem keeps returning month after month and every time the drain overflows, the entire area becomes contaminated. Customers walking past my shop cover their noses, some refuse to come inside and others prefer to drive away rather than stop anywhere near this mess. I am losing a lot of customers because people simply do not want to shop in a place that smells so bad or looks so unhygienic. It is affecting my business, my daily income and my ability to support my family. What makes the situation even more frustrating is that the Council sends workers who only do temporary repairs. They arrive, open the drain, try to unblock it and then leave. After a few days the leakage starts again. Nothing is being done to fix the root cause of the problem, which is to replace the old drain pipes with new ones. This is not how residents or business owners should be treated. We pay rates and taxes expecting proper services, yet we are forced to live with filth, flies and a constant sewage stench. This ongoing drainage problem is not just an inconvenience; it is a serious health hazard for everyone, including children, families and elderly people who pass through this street.”
Lethabo Kwetsi, also of 17th Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “I live right next to the manhole drain that is constantly blocked causing a leakage and the smell coming from it is honestly unbearable. We cannot take it anymore. My child is suffering, as he cannot bear the smell and has been vomiting frequently because of it. The Council must fix this problem permanently and immediately.”