Raw sewage flowing.
With spring just sprung into summer, dozens of residents of Hoedsruit in the Maruleng Local Municipality will bear the brunt of unbearable stench coming from a dysfunctional sewerage system.
The system which collects sewage from Hoedspruit transports the raw sewage through a pipe and pump system to the air force base, has come to screeching a halt.
The situation is compounded by constant bouts and increased level of load-shedding, rendering the pumps dysfunctional.
This leads to a back-up of effluent and the eventual failing of the system. Although a backup generator is available, the electronic system that must switch the generator on during load shedding has been broken for more than five years.
A few weeks ago, the pump near LeBamba shopping centre was out of service for weeks before Mopani District Municipality (MDM) finally repaired the pump. The three-kilometer pipeline from the pump station to where the pipe enters the air force base system, is without any manhole… That means it is almost impossible to find the blockage without breaking the pipe – which will lead to longer down time and a possible sewage spill where the pipe is broken to detect the blockage. The MDM has finally put out a tender to fix the generator.
The Democratic Alliance in the region said it will file a complaint with the Environmental Management Inspectorate (Green Scorpions) against the MDM for failing to maintain the sewage system in Hoedspruit.
During an oversight visit to Leguan Street on September 13, the DA said it revealed one of the worst sewage spills in the whole Olifants river system.
MDM is the agent responsible for the running and maintenance of the system.
Marie Helm, the DA’s Political Head for North East Constituency, said this is one of the primary reasons for the constant dysfunction of the system.
Helm said “During load-shedding the pump stops, and the sewage starts building up. The raw sewage is running between the hostel and the school and poses a real danger to the lives of the learners. The stench is overpowering and especially on hot days in Hoedspruit people get sick because of the unbearable smell. Some of the residents nearby complain that raw sewage is pushing up into their houses. Some residents were forced to leave their homes because the situation is unbearable. The pollution is threatening animals and plant life and the raw sewage is flowing down to the Blyde River, up to now one of the cleanest rivers in South Africa. The negligence by MDM is causing pollution to destroy a large part of the Hoedspruit area renowned as one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa. We call on the Green Scorpions to expedite their investigation and to hold the MDM officials accountable.”
Responding to the DA’s findings, MDM spokesperson Odas Ngobeni said “The matter is receiving our full attention. We are engaged in a supply chain process with the aim of installing a screen in the pump station and two sewage cutter pumps.”