Municipal flats on verge of collapse
IT HAS been more than six months since the heavy rains caused havoc in Durban. While some repairs to infrastructure damaged by the rain have commenced, others have been neglected.
Residents of Peacepalm Close, Phoenix, who live in municipal houses have been on the receiving end of the devastation. The foundation of some houses collapsed in April due to a sinkhole. They were moved to a community hall and have been living there since.
There was a glimmer of hope when construction workers eventually arrived in July to fix the problem. However, they abandoned the repair work in September, saying there were insufficient funds to continue with the project.
Ward councillor Lyndal Singh said the main sewer trunk line, including the stormwater pipeline and soil erosion, had been an issue since the floods in April. According to Singh, construction began in July, but towards the end
of September workers downed tools, complaining of not being paid on time by the municipality.
“Since April, we have been putting a lot of pressure on the municipality to try and get contractors out and do the repairs. Work only commenced on July 22. Contractors indicated that the entire project would take six to eight months to complete and it was okay because we knew that work was being
done and there would be some sort of progress,” she said.
Singh said the last time workers were seen on site was September 29. “I tried to call and no one took my calls. I emailed the council and the relevant officials and no one has responded to date. A day later I got a hold of the contractor, who informed me that they had a work stoppage due to non-payment by the municipality.”
Singh said she then contacted the executive council members and the head of the water and sanitation unit.
“When you go to Peacepalm, you find children playing in the river. The source of the problem is in ward 50 and is filtering down to the umhlanga area near the pump works. If the actual source of the problem is not sorted, it is not going to have a quick remedy. It is also negatively impacting our sea life and tourism, with some beaches being closed,” said Singh.
“If a project of this magnitude was set, a budget for it would have been allocated. This begs the question: What is the purpose of doing the project halfway. It’s frustrating and I have residents calling me. It is affecting the entire suburb because of the stench that emanates from the area,” she said.
Singh added that the ideal situation would be for the municipality to fast-track the process of repairing and contractors getting back on site, as they were making progress.
Jammie Govender, 38, a resident in the area and a mother of four who has been living in the Sastri Park community hall, said that life had not been easy.
She added that she hoped that the Department of Human Settlements would intervene and provide alternative accommodation for her and her 12 family members. “This also hampers the academic progress of my children since a section of my home was washed away. We need the repairs to be done urgently and we need to return home,” said Govender.
Another resident, Suzette Salochhan, 42, who was on chronic medication for diabetes and hypertension, said she had been living at the hall for more than four months.
“There is no way of going home because of what it looks like now. Cars cannot come into the yard, and there is also a health risk because of the sewer water gushing from the pipe next to our home. I cannot open the windows due to the horrible smell and the many mosquitoes because of the stagnant water,” she said.
The site manager of the construction company handling the project refused to comment.
The City had not responded to questions by the time of publication.