Residents from Ntlonganane Street in Lower Crossroads are threatening to boycott the upcoming national elections next year if there is nothing the City of the Cape Town has done to fix their street.
They say the street has been barricaded with stones and tyres for more than six months. This in a bid to avoid motorists using it as a result of stagnant sewage in the road.
They say they have given up on the City after living in squalor for a long time.
Resident Phumla Mvuza described the stench coming from the sewage as unbearable.
She says they feel 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 this street is like this. The motorists even stopped using the street and we even put stones to stop them (motorists) from passing here because they are splashing our yards with dirty water,” says 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 says.
Another resident, Nomvuyiso Mati says they reported the mess to City officials on numerous occasions and yet, 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,” says Mati.
Ward 35 councillor, Mboniswa Chitha says he is aware of the situation on the street.
However, he blamed the community in that area for the blockage.
“The residents discarded the rubble in the drain in that street and the rubble damaged the whole drainage system underground. That needs to be taken out before the whole system can be fixed so the sewage can flow,” says Chitha.
He says there is a company that is currently working in that area which is fixing the streets and drain blockage. He says it is not the only street that has a problem.
“The company is busy at Ngqwangi Street which is facing a similar problem. And is coming to Ntlonganane,” says Chitha.
He urges the community to be patient.