Pretoria - Even after numerous reports on the flooding, stench and filth at the corner of Vom Hagen and Zeiler streets in Pretoria West, the City of Tshwane has done very little to alleviate the suffering of communities there.
Residents and business owners continue to suffer from the flooding and filth, especially during rain and in the aftermath.
A visit to the area found plastic, cardboard, rotten food, disposable nappies, shoes, pieces of old TV sets and dead dogs among the litter strewn on the banks of the river running through the area.
The litter lines the roadside and is along the drainage system near a bridge, and, residents said, the recent heavy rains only caused the tunnel to overflow and pour particles, some of which clogged the drainage channels, out and into sight and onto the road.
They said illegal dumping caused the overflow, harming homes, pedestrians and businesses.
Resident Gcobisa Mzana said people threw rubbish inside the stream and alongside the road so when it rained cars could not pass properly.
This as the river then threw litter and dead animals out, and these, and broken and complete bottles, posed danger to vehicles and pedestrians.
“They throw everything here, we are just lucky we haven’t found a dead body yet, but as a resident I am really concerned about this stream because it is affecting our health,” she said.
“What I suggest is that if the government can provide security guards to watch over this place during the day and at night… maybe people will stop dumping into the stream, the flooding will stop and there will be a smooth flow of water when it rains.”
She said the City did come out last year and put a big bin for people to throw rubbish into, but people continued to dump their litter everywhere else.
“This has become a place for criminals, they steal from us and run to the river, and there’s no way we can follow them because the river is dirty and it has a lot of grass, so they get away.
“When it is raining it becomes worse because the grass grows long and thick, and they are able to hide.”
James Popoula added that when it rained the roads narrowed dangerously and vehicles could not move properly; and pedestrians were splashed with dirty smelly water and debris.
“There is no proper channel of water because the river always gets blocked by waste. The grass is a big problem, so we plead with the municipality to assist to make the channel run freely because the heavy rains damage the roads and the safety of our children is compromised,” he said.
Lindela Mashigo, spokesperson for the City of Tshwane, said the situation along Zeiler Street where the river runs, was being monitored. While they would send a response team to unblock the river, there were measures they had put in place to deal with the blockage permanently, “… but these have not been implemented yet.”
Pretoria News