Yolande Geldenhuys had sewage bubbling up from a drain in a yard for two weeks.
The Tafelsig resident was especially concerned about her backyard tenants, who lived in a wendy house and were disabled and asthmatic. The sewage was causing a massive stink and creating a health hazard.
Geldenhuys was also unable to use any water in the house. As soon as she opened a tap or flushed a toilet, the excess water would push the sewage further into the yard.
“The poo is just laying there,” Geldenhuys said. “It’s getting nearer and nearer the wendy.”
Geldenhuys said she had called the City to clear whatever blockage was causing the flooding but after two weeks, she had received no help.
She was not the only one to have sewerage flooding her homes, she said.
On Wednesday 13 August Geldenhuys’ neighbours told her that Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis was doing a services blitz at the Thusong Centre in Tafelsig. She determinedly marched to the centre to get help and found her way to Solomon Philander, the ward councillor for her area and the subcouncil 12 chair.
Philander said the sewage flooding had been caused by a collapsed section of the sewer in Olifantshoek which was being repaired. He assured that the sewage would stop flooding as soon as the infrastructure was repaired.
Service Blitz
Philander was among several other councillors at the centre who were attending to service complaints and malfunctions.
Hundreds of residents came from all over Mitchell’s Plain to access services by several government departments, including home affairs, revenue services, environmental health, water and sanitation and to collect compost bins at the City’s Service Blitz.
The Thusong Centre was one of several points in Tafelsig, Lentegeur and Beacon Valley that were part of the mayor’s Service Blitz on the day.
Later that day Hill-Lewis and Carl Pophaim, Mayco member for human settlements, visited Tafelsig resident Rosina Plaaitjies (79) to personally deliver the title deed to her home.
Pophaim also sat down to lunch with 50 residents at the Olifantshoek Community Hall to hand over their deeds.
“The Mayor and I have spoken publicly about our obsession with ensuring we create more home owners in Cape Town. A title deed changed my grandmother’s life and can do the same for so many other families. We are investing more than R20 million to fund the transfer of properties at no cost to qualifying residents. This is the biggest municipal commitment in South Africa to build generational security and opportunities for families.
“It is so important for us to spend time and engage with the residents who have become owners of their units as part of the City’s unique home-ownership ‘No Cost Transfer’ programme. We have already delivered more than 6 600 deeds to residents as part of this initiative. We have less than 5 000 to go and are fully committed to this mission.
“We encourage beneficiaries in older City of Cape Town housing developments who do not have their title deed to contact the City. To really drive progress, we will soon take our new and improved Human Settlements bus into all areas of the metro, to not only bring services closer to communities, but also take our Title-Deed-to-Door programme directly to our residents again,” said Pophaim.
Sewer collapse
When TygerBurger visited Geldenhuys two days after the Blitz, she said she was still unable to use any water in her home. TygerBurger noted however that her yard was no longer flooded.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said the City’s water and sanitation teams identified a collapse in the Olifantshoek Street sewer network on August 7 which affected the surrounding roads in Tafelsig.
“A contractor was appointed on the same day, began repairs on 8 August, and the repairs have since been completed. Suction tanks were used during the daytime to address any sewage spills, but not at night due to safety reasons, and the area was cordoned off with a traffic diversion in place,” he said. He said sewage overflows were cleaned and disinfected and that only one spillage onto a residential property was reported, which was also cleaned and disinfected.
Badroodien said any spillages could be reported via WhatsApp at 060 018 1505, online at www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests, via email at water@capetown.gov.za, via SMS at SMS 31373 (maximum 160 characters. Standard rates apply), by calling 0860 103 089 or by visiting a walk-in centre (see www.capetown.gov.za/facilities to find the one closest to you). He added that the City’s WhatsApp line and online service channel were convenient ways to report water and sanitation issues because you could upload photos there too.
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