But appeals by the affected communities to the municipality to fix the problems have always fallen on deaf ears, Matlatso Selomo, chair for the Mogalakwena Concerned and Affected Communities MCAC , said yesterday. "Since 2019, scores of residents visited local clinics for tests for waterborne illnesses. Basking in the sun outside your house has also became impossible because of a terrible malodour coming from the spillage and garbage," said Selomo. For the past four years, the municipality has been reluctant to attend to their pleas, he said. "We had countless shutdowns in a push to get their attention. The following day, they would send a sizeable number of staff to fix a problem. But this did not last long as, a few days later, it still persisted. "We now agreed in principle that no amount of shutdowns will fix the problems. We believe only the power of the pen will help. You, the media, are our last hope," Selomo said. Victor Mavhidula, provincial manager for the SA Human Rights Commission SAHRC , said the Mogalakwena fiasco was not new to the commission. "The matter was reported to us not once, but many a time." Mavhidula said the commission had investigated the complaints and visited the affected areas with officials from the municipality. "What we found was terrible and needed urgent attention. "A few days later, our investigations revealed the problem was fixed. But, surprisingly, the same problems persisted weeks after," Mavhidula said. "In light of this, we relaunched our investigations, which are now at an advanced stage. "We are now waiting for the outcome of our second investigation. Hammanskraal's fate 10 The Gauteng department of health on Monday confirmed the death toll for the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal in Tshwane has risen to 15 in just a week. Many residents claimed they had been forced to drink unsafe water from their taps because they couldn't afford bottled water. "If we find it is not fixed, we will be forced to rope in the provincial department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs, under the tutelage of MEC Basikop Makamu, or approach the court for action as a last resort. "But that will be a very unfortunate move because we need money to go to court. "This is taxpayers' money that would be used to compel government to do what it is, actually, required by law to do," Mavhidula said. Municipal spokesperson Malesela Selokela said the council was expecting a sum of R120 million from the department of water and sanitation to help strengthen "our ageing infrastructure in town and surrounding areas". "Some of the problems causing the reoccurrence of the spillage or blockage of the system is that we often find foreign objects, such as pieces of cloth, weaves, sanitary towels, nappies and plastics, flushed when fixing the system," Selokela said. "We are pleading with the communities not to flush such items or throw them into the sewer as this will only escalate the problem. These kind of objects need to be thrown into a dustbin," said Selokela.

Source: The Cit6izen