Residents from Lower Crossroads say they have given up on the City of Cape Town as they remain living in squalor.
Ntlonganane Street has been barricaded with stones after pooled up stagnant sewage has caused grass to grow on the surface of the road.
They said it’s been more than six months since the road stopped operating.
Resident Phumla Mvuza described the stink coming from the sewage as unbearable.
She said as residents from the street feel as if they are isolated from the community because they don’t get help from the ward councillor or the City itself.
“Everything is a mess here. There is a drain burst that is on the street and it’s been a long time not being fixed. The worst part is the sewage stuck on the street. It’s been months that this street is like this. The motorists even abandon the street and we even put stones to stop the motorists from passing here because they splashed (water in) our yards.,” said Mvuza.
She accused the community leaders of sabotaging them.
“The political leaders see us as voting cows. After elections they dump us. Come elections, all political party members will come to us and promise us a better life, whereas we are living in dirty water, and no one is helping us,” she said.
Another resident Nomvuyiso Mati said they reported the mess to the City officials on numerous occasions and nothing has been done.
“We even stopped reporting it. We are getting used to staying like this. Maybe one day they will fix it. Our children are sick. There are old people who are living in such conditions. The ward councillor knows about this. He passes here every day but there is nothing that he does to assist us,” said Mati.
Meanwhile, Ward 35 councillor Mboniswa Chitha said he is aware of the blockage at Ntlonganane Street and shifted blame onto the residents.
He stated that the reason there is sewage on that street is because of the drain blockage.
“The community has dumped the rubble in the drain. So, the rubble has damaged the whole drainage system, and it’s been a while like that since last year. It needs to be taken out so the sewage can flow underneath,” said Chitha.
However, he stated that there is a company that is currently fixing the roads in the area, and Ntlonganane Street is also going to be attended to.