Khaya sewage hits 300 residents
Khayelitsha homes have been flooded after a sewerage pipe burst.
Image: Supplied
MORE than 300 people have been displaced after a sewerage pipe burst, leading to flooded homes in the Kanana informal settlement, Khayelitsha.
Residents have been temporarily housed with relatives while authorities work on resolving the crisis.
Ward Councillor Lucky Mbiza explained the chain of events: “There was a sinkhole next to a nearby drain, and we called the City of Cape Town, and they came to fix it. As they were busy, the sewage pipe burst and caused havoc.”
More than 300 people have evacuated their homes after the sewage spillage.
Image: Supplied
He said the raw sewage spread across the settlement, forcing the evacuation of 110 homes and leaving 350 people homeless.
“We asked the Gift of the Givers to assist, and they came. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the local community hall because the people couldn’t go back to their homes. They will have to rebuild because no one would want to go back.”
The Gift of the Givers teams on the ground to assist.
Image: Supplied
Gift of the Givers project coordinator Ali Sablay said their teams responded immediately following a distress call from councillors and community leaders on Tuesday night.
He said: “A burst sewerage pipe led to severe flooding within the settlement, affecting numerous homes within minutes in what residents have described as a freak accident. On arrival, our teams witnessed the devastating impact firsthand: homes inundated with sewage, residents’ belongings destroyed, and food supplies contaminated. The situation has left many families in urgent need of basic essentials.”
The City of Cape Town’s Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Alderman Xanthea Limberg, said the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is actively addressing the situation.
Meanwhile, local activist Beryl Williams and retired police officer Captain Keith Blake spanned saam to help Phumlani Village residents after a fire left 15 mense homeless.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that a house and four hokkies were destroyed in a fire on Monday.
Williams said: “The community cleaned up the damaged structures on Wednesday and they are busy rebuilding the structures.
“I am going to be cooking for them next week and once their structures are completed I will be donating some clothing. I was there on Wednesday and dit lyk baie hartseer. Gister het hulle die laaste gebrande plaate uitgehaal.