Thugs scare municipal workers away from broken township drains

For three months, raw sewage overflowed into a street in Soweto-on-Sea in Port Elizabeth, with municipal workers reluctant to fix the drains because of attacks by robbers.

The broken drain at the corner of Mqwashu Street has finally been fixed, but residents say the smell persists.

The attacks on municipal workers started in the area in October 2018. Two weeks ago, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality embarked on an awareness campaign after a municipal sewerage team was robbed at gunpoint in Katyu Street in Zwide in September.

“The attacks on municipal workers by thugs have brought fear to the municipal workers. As a result, the residents get affected,” said ward councillor Kholekile Bhoqwana.

Neighbouring ward councillor Zoliswa Dlula said: “It is hard for municipal workers to come to Soweto-on-Sea and fix the blocked drains. As a result, the entire township is filthy with overflowing drains.

“Last year, on two occasions, municipal workers were robbed of their cellphones and wallets. Since then they have never wanted to come here unless I escort them. The whole township is dirty.”

Soweto-on-Sea resident Amanda Lukwe said: “We don’t deny that here in Soweto-on-Sea sewerage workers are being targeted. But in this case it’s negligence, because we have been sitting with this problem for too long.”

Another resident, Vuyiswa Thyolo, said children played in the sewage. “They think they are playing at the beach. We are in and out of the clinic because our kids are sick.

“When we flush our toilets, the poo comes back. A drain gets fixed, but after a month it gets blocked, and it will take more than three months to be fixed again.”

Kholiswa Mkhehle said the drain is often blocked. “It only functions for two months and gets blocked again ... It is even hard to get in and out of my house. I have to tip toe on rocks.”

• This article was first published by GroundUp.