Resident Frank Mkhuane (63) informed OFM News about their 83-year-old family member who lives in the Batho Location in Bloemfontein in shocking conditions that are hazardous to her health. 

Mkhuane said his aunt has been living in a yard full of sewage spillages since February 2022 after several attempts to get assistance from the metro and provincial government.

The municipality was told the pipes have to be replaced as the private company could not fix it. PHOTO: Supplied

“It was still in 2022 when I eventually met with the supervisor of sewage in the municipality and informed him of the situation. He sent workers to fix the sewage system after several attempts to get assistance from offices of the municipality, without success. Municipal officials could not fix the problem and the supervisor sent a private company after I went to him again. The private company informed the municipality that the pipes have to be replaced as they could not fix it. They even sent pictures to the municipality, yet nothing has been done,” Mkhuane said.

An emotional Mkhuane added that he was told to go to one of the heads of the department in charge of signing off replacements of new pipe systems. However, he could not find him as he was never in his office at the metro headquarters. The head was eventually contacted by phone and Mkhuane was now told about an unavailable fleet and a lack of diesel, among other excuses.

“It is very smelly there, it is bad, my uncle and aunt live at a pig’s house. The whole yard is full of sewage. You can’t eat in that house, you can’t smell, you can’t breathe in that house, it is very, very bad. My aunt is 83 and she has been [dealing with that situation] for over a year,” Mkhuane said.

He is pleading for help from anyone, since the municipality has not fixed the problem. 

Mkhuane said his aunt has been living in a yard full of sewage spillages since February 2022.

“I knocked on all the doors of the municipality. I was at the office of the premier when it was Premier Sisi Ntombela and I couldn’t get help. I went to Mxolisi Dukwana at Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and I couldn’t get help. I went to the Metropolitan Municipality's office and they couldn’t help me. I need help for my aunt, she is very old and it's very smelly there. She is a pensioner and doesn’t have money to fix the pipes.”

While visiting Mangaung Metro last year, the EFF president Julius Malema called on all political parties to put their differences aside and serve the residents. This after stating that there must be a sewerage system that is better for all, irrespective of political affiliation. The spokesperson of the ANC Interim Provincial Committee in the Free State at that time, Oupa Khoabane, concurred with Malema and said that old pipe systems should be replaced because they don’t serve communities adequately. 

DA provincial chairperson, Werner Horn, said he agreed with Malema’s suggestion and added that the ANC government must move away from its historical manner of dismissing solutions offered by opposition parties.

Dreadful living conditions

Metro residents have recently experienced dreadful living conditions due to poor service delivery. A family staying near the Caleb Motshabi informal settlement had a water and sanitation crisis until a good Samaritan installed a disability-friendly pit toilet.

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Questions have been sent to the municipality and the provincial government.

OFM News