The past few weeks without diesel to attend to service delivery puts the Mangaung Metro even further into dire straits with rivers of sewerage flooding parks, yards, and streets.
The lack of diesel is only one of several problems forcing residents to live with the smell and accompanying health risks the sewerage spills bring.
According to the DA, there was a backlog of more than 814 blocked sewerage systems in the metro in September, and councillors say very few were attended to until now.
Some residents are very concerned because of running sewerage on their properties.
One resident in Hospital Park said a plumber was contacted over the weekend to work on the blockage in his back yard. However, he was told the problem is higher up in the main sewerage pipe, and that the municipality must come and do repairs instead.
Residents all over the city are battling similar problems.
In Lourierpark alone there are blockages at five residences, and in Fauna there are four continuous problems.
Dave McKay, DA council member, said he sent many messages to officials and also sent complaints to the Environmental Management Inspectorate (Green Scorpions) and the Public Protector.
One of the major concerns is the river of sewerage flooding the veld next to Lourierpark.
“This is the main line from Fauna, Fichardtpark, Uitsig, Lourier Park, Pellissier, and Genl De Wet that is pushed up and runs into the stormwater drain and into the wetland,” he says.
“I have been reporting this sewerage spill since April.”
He explains that the stormwater drain runs directly into Kalk Spruit, which feeds into the Modder River and Mockes Dam, from where Bloemfontein gets its drinking water.
The river of sewerage water also runs to the other side into a wetland that feeds into Rooi Dam.
“The Welvaart Sewerage Plant is now working, but only receives a third of its capacity. A huge part of that sewerage water runs here into our rivers and streams,” he explains.
Dulandi Leech, a DA ward councillor in Langenhovenpark, says external contractors have still not been paid and they have yet to receive their new appointment letters two months after the matter was decided in council.
“This is one of the reasons services are not rendered.”
One of the big sewerage problems in Langenhovenpark is the spill in Boerneef Street where the clinic, a church, a school, and the Lanenhoven Market is.
“This spill has not been attended to in two weeks because of the diesel shortage,” she said.
She also blames political interference and cader deployment for the problems in the metro. “It is often not the officials that are to blame, but management that is not being held accountable.”
McKay says it is very coincidental that the diesel was delivered yesterday just after the price hike came into effect for October.
