As rains continue to bucket down in the province, communities in low-lying areas are bracing themselves for the worst.
This is no different for the residents of Mxolisi Street in Nomzamo.
They are accusing the community of the nearby Robben Island informal settlement of messing up their living conditions.
The informal settlement is located in a pond resulting in some flooding in the area.
According to the Mxolisi community, with frequent rains and blocked drains, the sewage is now spilling into the streets.
They are appealing to the City of Cape Town to remove the community from the pond after moving into the area in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mxolisi resident Miliswa Mahonga stated things had turned for the worse when people moved into the pond. She described their living conditions as appalling.
Mabonga stated residents were unable to walk on the street because of the sewage.
“When it rains or there is a drain burst on the street the sewage used to flow down the street into the pond,” she complained.
“But it is stuck here on the street because some residents have built their shacks in the pond. The pond was closed and now the water cannot go through.”Mahonga said the residents invaded the pond during the Covid-19 period. She said they want the City to talk to them to move, so the space for the water to flow can be reopened.
“We can’t breathe because of the stench coming from the water. The children have to walk here when they are going to school because the sewage is just in front of the school gate. When it rains the whole street is full of water.”
One of the residents of Robben Island, who calls herself “Ma Kheswa”, had to invade the pond because she needed a place to stay.
“I used to rent a shack in Nomzamo for R450 a month,” she said.
“But after I lost my job at the beginning of Covid-19 in 2020 I decided to come and stay here.”
Ma Kheswa, who was working at a restaurant in Somerset West Mall, stated the area was always damp and quickly flooded when it rained.
“We put sand to lift up the ground, and then we built the shack. But, because it is a pond it is always wet, even if there is no rain. And our neighbouring areas are also complaining because the water that is supposed to come to the pond is stuck on the road and is dirty,” she explained, adding that they don’t have a choice.
Ma Kheswa said she was willing to relocate anywhere if the City could come up with an option.She said her children were always sick because of the conditions they were living in. S
he stressed there are no recreational facilities in that area.
“We don’t have a choice. No one in their right mind can stay under such conditions if there were options. We are forced to stay here. Most of us here are unemployed. We are doing odd jobs.”
The City of Cape Town said in a statement the area is situated in a low-lying area, prone to flooding and designed to catch water, which is not suitable for human habitation.
The City’s Informal Settlements Management Department continues to assess the site.
The statement continues that the City is looking at all feasible options available and will engage with the relevant group of people to find a way forward.
Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the detention ponds are an important part of City infrastructure that allows for controlling the flow of water and preventing flooding downstream.
“The detention pond was filled with construction rubble and other debris by individuals intending to construct illegal structures on top of the filled-in detention pond,” he said.
“This pond was designed to hold 8 500m³ of rainwater during our rainy periods. The capacity is now zero. This means that the structures built in this pond will flood and that areas higher up from this blockage will flood too.”
He stated that as a result of this invasion the roads are underwater, underground stormwater systems don’t function as designed and the school adjacent to the pond floods.
“Plans are in place to rehabilitate the pond. This, however, depends on the relocation of those who have illegally occupied it.”