Heavy rains, bad roads, lack of drainage a disaster for Ezibeleni
Aheavy storm which fell in Komani on Monday afternoon left a number of Ezibeleni zone 1 households flooded due to the dysfunctional stormwater drainage system under the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality’s jurisdiction.
Houses in Agget and Gobhoza Streets were flooded with water streaming down from high-lying areas, completely covering the streets, yards and even going inside some houses.
Residents, including children, had to use buckets to remove water from inside their homes and vehicles could not access Agget Street as it was covered by water. The stormwater drains were blocked, thus resulting in the flooding.
Ezibeleni resident Siziwe Tyalana is concerned about the issue and said the floods caused problems because there were elderly people living in the area who would be stuck in their flooded houses when it rained heavily.
“We arrived in Ezibeleni in 1974 and have always had this problem. Mayors and councillors have come and gone, leaving us with empty promises each time. At some stage the local authority promised to move us to another area for a while and rebuild our houses properly, including fixing the stormwater drainage which is the root of this problem.
“Families have to change their furniture on a regular basis as it is damaged by water.
“We have pensioners and some children who do not have parents or they are unemployed, so you can imagine their living conditions when their only furniture is damaged.
“Our councillor also lives here, but is not directly affected, so the residents believe he does not care. No one in the municipality is willing to step up and come to our aid, all their want is our votes,” Tyalana said.
Resident Nombeko Mfengwana said she lived with her 81-year-old asthmatic mother whose health issues became worse each time there was rain due to water flooding their home.
“For us it is not even an issue of the water coming through the small opening below the door, it comes through the foundations of the house. This results in our wardrobes, wall unit, fridge and beds being soaked and eventually damaged. This is not a once-off thing, it has been going on for decades. I cannot even remember how many times we replaced furniture because of this.”
Mfengwana said she would be forced to skip work the following day so that she could take out all the furniture and get everything dried, an activity which would see her lose R100 from her payment.
Affected resident Akhona Mtola said the municipality was to blame because it was due to the damaged roads and drainage system that water came streaming into people’s homes.
The manager in the office of the mayor, Butsha Lali, did not respond to a query sent to him by the time of going to print.