MZINONI – Local residents are accusing the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality for failing to complete a storm-water drain infrastructure project in ward 26.
The locals have expressed dissatisfaction about the project since its inception in November 2024. They outlined that the municipality left several manholes in the area that have a dire impact on their day-to-day lives.They claim that the manholes pose a danger to not only their lives, but also that of their livestock.
The residents say they are also upset with the state the municipality leaves their yards in after completing the project. According to the residents, the workers leave behind rubble and other left-over materials instead of disposing it far from their homes.
One senior citizen, Samaria Mashiloane says the drainpipe installed inside her property was left incomplete and as a result, a minor accidentally fell inside the drain.
READ | Seven-Point Water Intervention Plan revealed
“They left holes in my yard. The water does not pass through, instead builds up and gets inside the houses. It’s not safe for everyone, even kids. Not so long a kid was rescued in the drain. It’s not safe at all. They left everything incomplete,” Mashiloane said.
Other community members who asked not to be named, are calling for a swift closure of the manholes.
“The municipality left a number of holes here when the water pipes were fixed. They even damaged the wall at the Early Childhood Development Centre and children’s lives are now in danger. If only they could come and finish off the project because it’s not safe at all.
“They dig holes and drain after that they leave it like that. We are afraid for our kids and animals and also for ourselves because we are all not safe. Some can kill people and put them in those holes so it’s not safe at all. I don’t know what to do but we are appealing to the municipality to try their best to close all these holes.”
Govan Mbeki Local Municipality Mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, highlighted that they are prioritizing the stormwater drainage infrastructure project. This as a way to counter unprecedented catastrophic floods.
“The municipality is currently doing a lot of intervention with regards to storm water. That’s on the basis that we’ve had a lot of disasters due to the change in raining patterns and also the volume of rain that we are receiving. We received money from national COGTA in regard to disaster on storm water. So we are currently intervening. We have appointed four services providers in the different regions,” Zuma explained.
The municipality acknowledged that there have been challenges that may have caused the delay in the completion of the project, but has promised to attend to the matter.
“We had a bit of a challenge with regards to transfer of funding from the department, but it has been done this week, so all of them are back on site and we are expecting that they are going to conclude the work that they have been given,” Zuma added.
