Blocked manhole sparks neighbourly dispute in city

when they came to look at the blockage.

“They also did not give any feedback on whether it will be fixed or not. As a result, I dug trenches to let the sewage run out as it seeps into my shack. However, my neighbours are now angry because the trenches, diverting the sewage, now run through their yards. I have no other choice because if I do not divert it, the sewage will just end up in my shack.

“Now that it is flowing down the street, the neighbours are looking at me to solve the problem as the manhole is situated in my yard,” she said.

Kok added that the sewage has resulted in her children becoming ill.

“My children have been missing out on school because they are always sick. They inhale the fumes from the sewage and I have to constantly keep an eye on them to ensure that they do not play near the manhole. We also cannot enjoy our food as the stench from the manhole fills our entire home,” she said.

She said the problem had made her life miserable.

“We have reported this problem but nobody seems to care. No-one can live under such conditions. I am certain the employees at the municipality will also be frustrated if they lived like this,” she added.

One of Kok’s neighbours, Magdalene Voules, said she was also suffering.

“My toilet is blocked and when I flush it, it overflows. I have resorted to using a bucket as the toilet is not functioning. These are the options we are left with because the municipality ignores our problems,” said Voules.

Sol Plaatje municipal spokesman, Sello Matsie, apologised for the inconvenience caused by the problem.

“Municipal employees did go and attend to the problem on Tuesday but the rod they used to unblock the manhole broke. They had to return to get another one and, upon returning, found that the cover was stolen,” he said.

He said the municipality does try and attend to each problem speedily.

“Where there is a major blockage, we go out and attend to the problem. We understand that an open manhole presents a danger to children and people can also dump their rubbish in it,” Matsie said.