Continued unattended sewerage’s flow irks residents

MARBLE HALL – The lack of intervention in the persistent raw affluent flow in Marble Hall has sent the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EPMLM) questioning the effectiveness of the South African Human Rights Commission.

The DA announced that following its several moves to get the problem addressed without success, it would write to the national commissioner of the SAHRC professor Bongani Majola to request an urgent meeting on the lack of water and the ongoing sewage leaks in the local municipality.

According to the party, during June 2021, following an oversight, it requested the SAHRC to investigate the lack of access to water and contaminated water in EPMLM.

Flip Jacobs, DA Caucus leader in EPMLM, indicated that subsequent to a public hearing on water and sanitation in the province, the DA political head for EPMLM, Lindy Wilson testified about the plight of residents and reiterated the party’s call for intervention the predicament.

Jacobs lashed that since 2021, the situation has deteriorated and that during the past week, due to a blocked manhole in Vilet Street, Marble Hall, raw effluent spewed out of every surrounding drain in the town.

“The AGS Church could not gather for a holy communion last Sunday as the church grounds were filled with raw effluent,” revealed Jacobs.

He added that the right to religious freedom of the congregants included being able to practice religion and that right was infringed upon because the Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), a water authority, seemed untouchable.

“In November 2022, following the careless approach by the SAHRC on the lack of water and sanitation in EPMLM, the DA laid criminal charges against officials of the SDM. To date, no arrests have been made. We are further concerned about elderly residents whose houses are surrounded by raw effluent. One elderly man who suffers from a rare blood condition is particularly vulnerable as unhygienic surroundings can be fatal,” explained Jacobs.

The caucus leader confirmed that on Monday, 06 March 2023, a multi-party delegation and EPMLM Mayor, Given Moimana visited the affected areas and the Mayor Moimana undertook to liaise with SDM to urgently clear up the spill and repair the infrastructure, and the DA urgently wanted to see that happening.

“The DA is now insistent that the SAHRC execute its mandate which includes investigating and reporting on the observance of human rights, taking steps, securing appropriate redress were human rights have been violated. The rights of people of EPMLM have been disrespected long enough,” concluded Jacobs.

However, Khomotso Ndlovu, SDM Acting Communications Manager, said they managed to unblock the sewer on Tuesday and that the raw effluent currently flew through the system.

Ndlovu remarked that what they observed was that residents were depositing a lot of unwanted items like clothes, stones, utensils and so forth, which ultimately blocked the system.

“We will organize an awareness campaign and some flyers to distribute for residents so that they are conscientised against the practice of depositing foreign objects into the system,” concluded Ndlovu.