Durban — Street vendors trading outside King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban said the Department of Water and Sanitation's interventions on Wednesday on the sewage leak outside the hospital entrance was in vain because the drainage system would be blocked again after three days.
The vendors claim that the sewage flowing onto the pavement and part of Sydney Road has been going on for two years.
On Wednesday, the DA provincial chairperson Dean Macpherson conducted an inspection on several sites where sewage spills were consistent and had been for long periods of time.
He said the sewage spills and blocked pipes in the city were at a crisis point that urgently needed to be resolved.
Before Macpherson arrived at the hospital, staff from the Water and Sanitation Department arrived to clean up and “try and do damage control”.
Macpherson also went to the Bluff National Golf course, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.
A vendor, Joshua Kagwa, said the problem usually reoccurred once the municipality left, and it became worse after it rained.
“Sometimes complaining does not help when you have the business, because you need the money. However, it would be nice for this problem to be solved,” he said.
Another vendor, who said she had been selling snacks, fruit and airtime for 22 years, pleaded with the city officials to resolve the matter.
“I am here daily. The smell is very unpleasant. “It has been two years now with this persistent sewage problem. The problem is persistent even after officials clean up,” she said.
Taxi driver Lindokuhle Ndlovu said he disliked eating around the hospital entrance because the smell was horrible.
“The minute you open your food the smell just puffs up. How are you going to eat? I truly feel sorry for the people who are here everyday to work because this is unbearable,” said Ndlovu.
A patient, who wanted to remain anonymous, said there was a disgusting smell outside the gate.
She said it was often hard to cross the road when the taxi dropped her off because the pavement was covered with water and sewage. She is forced to walk on the road.
“You sometimes often see faeces and toilet paper just laying there. The smell is enough to kill you,” she said.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health spokesperson, Agiza Hlongwane, said the maintenance and repair of sewerage infrastructure was the responsibility of the eThekwini Municipality.
He added that the affected area was not an entrance for patients.
eThekwini ward 33 councillor Sakhile Mngadi said they were constantly reporting this problem and receiving a reference number.
“They come and spray water and Jeyes Fluid, try to unblock the drain and leave. Why are they not checking the root cause of the problem?” he asked.
The Daily News has previously reported on numerous sewage leakages in various parts of Durban.
Daily News