KAK DAM IN MY YARD.

A family from KwaNobuhle is desperately seeking assistance from the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality after an underground sewerage pipe burst and subsequently left them with a sewage dam in their backyard.

Frustrated resident Mandisa Madlakane, 52, who has lived in the house for years, said the pipe started leaking in October 2019 and since then the family had battled with a constant stench and potential health hazard on their property.

She said municipal workers had dug up their backyard shortly after her initial complaint, fixed the pipes, but never closed the hole.

Shortly thereafter and pipes started leaking again.

“The pipe burst in October 2019 and we called the municipality to fix it,” Madlakane said.

“A day after they did that the pipe started to leak again. Since then they have promised to fix the pipe but have never done so.”

She said every day they had to contend with the stench from the sewage which has dammed up in front of the kitchen.

“The flow is right in front of our kitchen door. It’s difficult to cook and the stench has spread throughout the house.

“Uitenhage is very hot so we have to open the windows and bear the terrible smell,” she said.

The family also has a year-old baby. They fear the child might crawl outside and fall into the sewage.

“My grandchild is a year old, and we have to watch her and keep the door closed because we fear that the child might fall into the hole.

“We are desperate and with the heavy rains it gets worse.”

“Our washing line was at the back and we had to take it down because of the hole,” she said.

The family have four dogs.

“We are forced to keep our dogs in a tiny space because of the hole. This has really worsened and the municipality is totally ignoring our cry.”

Madlakane said she constantly reported the matter to any municipal worker around their neighbourhood, after several failed attempts using the toll-free municipal number.

Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said it was difficult to trace the matter as the family had lost their reference number.

However, Mniki assured Daily kasi news that they would follow up on the problem.