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The source of the smell. Takalani Mukwevho stands next to the hole where the blockade is.

River of sewage unbearable for family

 

For more than 10 years, a Thohoyandou family has had to endure the stinking smell caused by the persistent sewage spillage that leaves a river of faeces flowing into their own yard.

The Mukwevho family, who resides in Thohoyandou P East along the Thohoyandou main street, said they had complained of the same thing time and again at the local municipality for the past 10 years, but with no help forthcoming.

When this paper arrived at the house, we were greeted by a river of sewage that flowed straight to the kitchen and the outside sink. The stream flows around the house to the road outside the yard. To enter the house, one needs to wear water boots as it is watery all over.

“It has been like this for the past 10 years. We tried to engage the municipality and they would come and fix it and go, but the following day it would be the same thing again,” said Ms Takalani Mukwevho (38).

Mukwevho, who also owns Main Street Car Wash, said the engineers from the municipality told them that the pipes were old and too small, so that they could not carry the heavy load of the growing town. She said that she told them to remove the pipes to give them peace of mind, but they told her that this could not be done. “We are really suffering. Both my parents are aged and the bad smell is affecting their health in a negative way. We cannot even cook food in the kitchen as it is also smelling and my car wash business is adversely affected."

She mentioned that some of their clients had gone to other businesses because of the smell. "These people do not care about our lives and we do not know where to run to for assistance,” she said.

The ageing Vhakwevhos, Daniel Tsaitsai and Alinah, said all they wanted was compensation from the municipality. “We have endured a lot of pain through the years, because of the incompetence of municipal officials. We need to be reimbursed for the suffering. We have spent thousands on doctors and our health has been compromised,” said Daniel.

Vhembe District municipality spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai said they had dispatched technicians to the house and that they would get to the bottom of the problem. “Our personnel are on site and we hope the problem will be dealt with once and for all,” he said.

 

Date:15 July 2015

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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