How problems stack up in beleaguered Makhanda

● The sewage problem: This was dire and raw sewage flowed into homes. Aerial photographs showed at least 26 major sewage spills in Makhanda East alone.

Arteries of bright green caused by the leaks cut through the bleak drought-stricken brown of the landscape. Other photos show raw sewage flowing down streets and into homes. The waste water treatment plants are also overstretched and overflowing.

“I am advised that raw sewage can result in very serious epidemics such as dysentery and cholera,” says Kota This is an infectious disease that can lead to dehydration and death, if untreated.”

● The water problem: Sewage had contaminated the water supply at the municipality and tap water had registered offthe-chart bacteria counts in May, November and December of 2018.

This was also due to staff cutting back on the required chemical treatment of the water. Poor management of the water treatment plants and the aging pipe infrastructure also led to prolonged water outages.

Gift of the Givers had intervened to try to assist the municipality by handing out bottled water to residents and drilling boreholes.

● Air pollution: Poor management of the municipal rubbish dump led to fires and toxic fumes enveloping Makhanda. Despite court orders to clean up their act, the municipality had done little to address this toxic and growing crisis.

● Electricity crisis: The municipality owed some R80m to Eskom, which had threatened to turn off the supply.

● Waste removal: Municipal employees had been on an informal strike for over four weeks and rubbish was piling up everywhere despite the best efforts of citizens.

● Pothole crisis: The road network had deteriorated to crisis proportions and little was being done to address it.

● Roaming animals: Cows, donkeys and goats roamed freely in the city and on the roads, and there was no functioning pound in Makhanda