A file picture of residents in Ga-Rankuwa, Zone1 looking at water in their yard. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - The MelodiForum Service Delivery Group has proposed that the City of Tshwane compensate households that had been affected by the bulk water reservoir leak at Ga-Rankuwa in Zone 1.
According to the service delivery group representing the households, the reservoir leakage dates back to May 2018 and was first reported by a community member.
The resident had said there was continuous flooding in neighbouring residential households in the evenings on a daily basis.
MelodiForum Service Delivery founder and chairperson Oda Masemola said they requested the City of Tshwane to draft a comprehensive report to include collateral damage to neighbouring households to be compensated.
The organisation also want the repairs of the reservoir to include the dwelling repairs of the wet conditions incurred by the households.
“We would like to inform the municipality that most of the households are impoverished and from a poor background are not able to afford the damages that the seven-year reservoir leak continues to cause to their dwellings.
“There are approximately 20 households affected by these collateral damages, with 10 houses mostly on Montoedi and Sesoko streets and another 10 still to be inspected.
“We request a site inspection and for professional teams to assess the damage to households.”
Oda said the group had reported the matter through various channels since 2018 and had since requested a progress report on the maintenance and a turn-around-time on repairs from the metro.
“We were promised to be kept updated as a representative of the community of Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, 2, 4, 16 and 20, the main consumers from the reservoir.
“We are still awaiting a service report. We notified the City of Tshwane that there is serious collateral damage that the water leakage made to the neighbouring households due to damp/wet conditions.
“We were informed that the water leak being ‘due to vandalism’ is far-fetched. The issue recorded from 2015 shows that the matter is due to a neglect of maintenance from the municipality bulk water supply management division and the abandonment of keypoint service delivery points in townships.”
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said their Water and Sanitation Department had completed the assessment and was procuring the services to repair the crack. Mashigo said claims would be subjected to a legal process.
Pretoria News