Metro promises to help creche battling sewage leak
A New Brighton preschool has been battling with sewage flooding its garden for about a year, and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality promised to fix the issue no later than today after being contacted by Metro Matters.
The sewage has resulted in children getting sick and suffering from skin infections at the Visisizwe preschool.
Owner Kayakazi Somgqeza said the problem started a year ago and the stench had been unbearable ever since.
“The garden floods when an inside toilet is flushed and a pipe outside leaks.
“This also happens when the washing machine is running,” she said.
“One time, the sewage seeped into the house, leaving the passageway filled with faeces.
“It started overflowing from a drain just outside the kitchen. The sewage level just rose.”
Somgqeza has reported the issue to the municipality and was only given a reference number.
“Once we heard officials working on another drain in the street and we had to beg the guys to come help.”
However, it soon continued to leak again.
“This has a serious effect on our creche. It has been affecting our children,” she said.
Somgqeza said a Wendy house was locked up as the sewage pooled near the entrance.
“One of the children had to stay home due to a cough.
“He found it difficult to breathe and we suspect it could be an infection linked to the sewage.
“If this stench of sewage makes it difficult for an adult to breathe, imagine what it does to children.
“What do we have to do to get this sorted out? Going to the newspaper was our only hope of being heard,” she said.
Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the problem would be fixed as it posed a health risk to children.
He said this would be done before the end of the day today.