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A putrid smell fills the air as raw sewage streams into a trench on FW Beyers Avenue, Barry Hertzog Park, Newcastle. A trench which the Newcastle Municipality opened up a while back.
Living right by the pool of excrement, Jean and Shadre de Necker explain that the past few weeks have been far from easy.
The Newcastle Municipality issued a notice on 29 January 2022, stating electricity supply to numerous households in Barry Hertzog Park would be affected due to the municipality replacing a sewage pipe.
However, residents were not to worry as the municipality assured the issue would be resolved by 2 pm on the same day. This was not to be.
With work coming to a virtual standstill, sewage was allowed to slowly seep into the pit. The Newcastillian – Online discussed the worrisome issue with Newcastle Municipality’s Speaker, Cllr Thengi Zulu, on 10 February 2022.
At the time, Cllr Zulu explained that the municipality would address the issue promptly, as the maintenance work affected traffic flow and posed a health risk.
To read the full article, click here.
Despite the Municipal Speaker’s assurance, nearly a month after the maintenance work began, Jean explains that the matter has escalated to a horrifying level over the past two weeks.
“When the Municipality first began with the work, we had to park in a neighbour’s yard as we could not pull our car in our property. The municipality then made it so that we can pull our car into our yard, but because of the sewage, the spot that the municipality made for our car is breaking away and it is only a matter of time before our car falls into the sewage.”
Adding to this, Shadre explains that sewage poses a considerable health and safety risk. “Both of our children and Jean have fallen sick because of it. Also, when we get home in the day and pull into our yard, our dogs love to come running to greet us and our little Daschund fell in. Luckily, our son saw it and got the dog out.”
One also needs to consider that numerous students have to walk past the sewage daily to attend the TVET college in the area.
Nevertheless, the couple adds that their house is often filled with the putrid smell of sewage, making it difficult to eat meals and enjoy home time.
Having contacted the Newcastle Municipality on a multiple occasions with not much progress coming to light, Jean and Shadre say, “can’t they connect the pipes or just come drain the sewage?” Jean asks.
Therefore, the Newcastillian – Online News contacted the Newcastle Municipality’s Communications Unit for comment to establish why the maintenance work had not been done, and the matter was allowed to reach the point it had.
Following the media enquiry, the government entity quickly sent staff to remove the pool of sewage. Yet the now almost famous pit remains a feature on the road as it is still open.
Unfortunately, the municipality did not supply comment by the time of publication.
As the Newcastle Municipality’s Communications Unit remains silent on the matter, President Cyril Ramaphosa states that the government must ensure it delivers quality services to avoid litigation from frustrated citizens.
This follows the President’s speech at the Inaugural Intergovernmental National Litigation Forum held in Pretoria on Friday, 25 February 2022.
During his speech, President Ramaphosa acknowledged that at times, citizens turn to litigation to entrench their rights.
“The fact that some South Africans are resorting to the courts to uphold their rights points to widespread and systemic shortcomings in service delivery. Our first responsibility as government is to ensure that we address all these shortcomings and that all persons in this country are able to fully exercise their rights. That, first and foremost, is how we will reduce legal action being taken against the State,” he said.
Additionally, the President highlighted that state litigation costs have rocketed.
“Litigation against the State has risen by staggering levels. The legal fees for national and provincial spheres of government over the past five financial years amount to approximately R7 billion.”
With slow or no progression or difficult procedures being the average process when dealing with the government—will we see an increase in lawsuits over the ensuing months? This, as people grow tired of political answers and not much consistency in delivery?
What are your thoughts on the matter? Share your views in the comment section below.
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2 Responses
Serve delivery is pathetic
This situation in Barry Hertzog Park with the sewerage is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. Could nothing be done in a months’ time? Have the root cause of all our towns sewerage problems been investigated?