By Jabulane Khumalo
EMBALENHLE – A pensioner has been living with a sewer problem for over a decade with no solution but empty promises.
Emily Shiwe Mthombeni, pleaded with the African National Congress Chief Whip in the legislature, Fidel Mlombo who visited her household during his 67 minutes in honour of Nelson Mandela on July 18.
Mthombeni explained to Mpumalanga Mirror that her yard is often flooded with sewer and the pipe that runs across her yard is the cause. The sewer is so bad that it gets into the house. You’ll be shocked how the condition of the floor under the matt. The sewer finds its way even in the bedrooms which have made me live uncomfortably in my house. I had to ask one of my grandchildren to come and live with me because I cannot handle this by myself,” she said.
Her wish is to have a newly built house for her family as the sewer has caused much damage. The Speaker of Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Nhlakanipho Zuma who was present during the visit revealed that he will assist Mthombeni from his pocket in resolving the sewer and building her a new house.
“She’s now my responsibility because there have been many empty promises made. The plan is to excavate the yard without disturbing the existing structure. The sewer pipe will be fixed and reinforce the yard by installing a proper drainage system so that should there be a leak in the future the yard won’t be flooded by sewer. This issue is a unique one because the leakage is underground. However, in Embalenhle there’s a problem of main holes mainly in extension 18, 19 and 20. Before the Covid-19 outbreak the provincial government invested R91 million this financial year. The district municipality also invested R60 million to address the sewer issue.”
