Two boys drown at abandoned sewer project

Two children from Centane in the Eastern Cape drowned in abandoned oxidation ponds last week. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

On 1 July, tragedy struck in Macibe village, Centane, in the Eastern Cape. Two boys drowned. They had been swimming in an open oxidation pond, part of a sewer project that has been left unfinished for 25 years. When the contractor left in 2000, there was a fence, but it was vandalised, leaving the ponds open.

Police spokesperson Siphokazi Mawisa said the boys were seven and eight years old. Police divers were summoned to the scene and the two bodies were found on the second day of the search.

Mayor Anele Ntsangani extended condolences to the families of the boys.

Amathole District Municipality spokesperson Sibo Mnqeta said construction of the oxidation ponds had been halted due to objections from the Qolora Traditional Authority and the local land committee.

Mnqeta said despite efforts at mediation and dispute resolution over years, to date the impasse remains unresolved and the project incomplete.

He said approximately R3-million had been spent during the initial stages of the project, which included the construction of a bulk outfall sewer, pump stations and oxidation ponds. The plan was to phase out the bucket toilet system.

South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) chairperson Mboneli Gidi said children had been swimming in the ponds for years. He said SANCO had asked the municipality to close the ponds.

Gidi said Macibe residents say they were never properly consulted about the project, and they were concerned it would stink out the area. The ponds are near homes.

Meanwhile, Macibe villagers complain about full toilets. They no longer use the pit latrines built by the municipality as these are full.

At RDP houses meant to have been served by the sewer project, residents are also using pit latrines. Nomsa Mbande said both her pit toilets are full. She also said the municipality had stopped servicing the toilet ages ago.

“When there are officials here, we report it, but nothing has been done. When it’s raining, the toilets overflow. You would find maggots,” she said.

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