The recent rainfall in the country has caused flooding and infrastructure damage in several areas around Johannesburg. It is reported that this issue is more than a seasonal challenge; it is an ongoing problem, with homes flooding every time it rains.
Puseletso Mashoeshoe, a resident of Turffontein in Johannesburg, says she faces a daily struggle as her home is regularly flooded with rainwater due to the inadequate drainage system in her area. This persistent issue has caused her significant distress.
Mashoeshoe first encountered serious flooding in 2009. Prior to this, she never experienced such problems in her home, which she attributes to the drainage systems being regularly maintained at the time. The lack of maintenance over the years has made the situation worse, leaving residents like her to bear the brunt of inadequate infrastructure and highlighting the need for urgent intervention.
https://rumble.com/v66ddm1-drainage-systems-cause-havoc-at-turffontein-johannesburg.html
At one point, she says, the flooding was so severe that the water level destroyed “everything inside” her house, including electrical wall plugs. This damage not only caused her significant financial loss but also posed serious safety risks.
“The previous years the situation was so severe that water levels were so high it destroyed our entertainment devices, bedroom suites, electrical wall plugs, and we didn’t have electricity for days. I also got injured in the process of trying to unblock a small drainage system near my house,” said Moshoeshoe.
She says that she has repeatedly reported the issue to the Department of Housing, and her ward councillor. However, despite her continual efforts, no action has been taken to address the problem.
Another pressing issue for Mashoeshoe contributing to the flooding is some residents obstructing a few of the working drainage systems they have.
“Some residents have blocked several drainage systems by constructing ramps over them and filling them with soil. This practice has exacerbated the already inadequate drainage infrastructure, further increasing the risk of flooding during heavy rains,” she said.
Speaking about the flooding, the ward councillor in the area, Mongameli Mnyameni, said he was not aware of the issues some residents were experiencing, but he assured them that he would attend to the problem once back from the Eastern Cape.
“No, I’m not aware of the current drainage system and the flooding some of the residents are experiencing. But when I'm back from Eastern Cape to Joburg I'll visit the residents and see what best we can do to resolve the problem,” said Mnyameni.
Another Turffontein resident, Mpho Padi echoed Mashoeshoe's words as he was also affected by the recurring floods. He says he feels hopeless as most of his furniture is ruined, and it takes him a lengthy time to dry up his home.
“The situation is worse as most of my furniture is decaying from the recurring floods, and the most frustrating thing is not even having a bed to sleep on because it’s been flooded by water,” Padi said.
The Star