A collapsed sewer line is threatening operations of businesses in Emfuleni in the Vaal with one owner revealing this week that he stands to lose his chicken franchise licence owing to poor hygienic conditions in the premises where he operates.
The businessman who also runs a petrol station in Vereeniging has borne the brunt of the sewerage spill crisis caused by poor maintenance of infrastructure by the municipality, which he now says threatens job security for his 40 employees.
The chicken franchise and petrol station owner told Sowetan that the franchisor has now issued him a notice to get the problem resolved, the smell problem or risk losing his licence. Health inspectors have also threatened to close the business over noncompliance with health and safety standards for a food outlet.
He is one of several business owners who have been negatively affected by the ongoing problem of sewerage spill, blocked drains and toilets that cannot be used by customers. So dire is the situation that another business, a laundromat, said it was losing clients because of the pungent smell that clung to customers’ clothes when hung out to dry after washing.
The businessman, who asked not to be named, said: “They [inspectors] shut us down for six days in October.
“There was loss of income... There is a pipe which they [municipality] said they had fixed, but we are still affected [by sewage spills].
“The franchise [licence holder] has given us notice to get this problem resolved. It is becoming a headache. My major concern is we can lose our franchise agreement [not just with the chicken company but with the petrol station licence holder] as well.”
,He said in August he received a letter from ward councillor Prudence Hlanyane, saying she was aware of the severe sewer issues affecting the business due to a collapsed sewer line.
“Rand Water has committed to attending to this issue, but unfortunately, no timelines have been communicated yet. I want to assure you that the municipality and relevant authorities are aware of the issue and are taking steps to address it,” she said in her letter.
To ensure accountability and transparency, the department holds a stakeholder meeting every two weeks where the progress is reported.
— DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala
In 2021, the department of water and sanitation invoked Section 63 of the Water Services Act to help the Emfuleni municipality end its sewer problems. The intervention was also aimed at eradicating pollution of the Vaal River and other water bodies in the municipality.
“Customers don’t want to come to my [petrol station] or to the chicken franchise due to the stink. It is like eating in a toilet,” said the businessman.
When a Sowetan team visited the area recently, a sign on the bathroom door said the toilets were not working due to a blocked municipal drain. A manager from another food outlet that is affected by the sewage problem said it was unfair that customers can’t use restrooms.
“We are running a food business, but customers can’t even wash their hands. We [employees] go to another business to relieve ourselves.”
The manager said they spend about R4,500 per month on drain cleaners.
A manager at a dry cleaner, Merna Olivier, said sometimes the sewage comes into the shop.
“We have had customer complaints. Sometimes they even stand out in the street and we have to go to them to give them their items because they say it smells too bad inside the shop. When we hang some of the clothes outside, they sometimes get a sewage smell on them.
“The municipality keeps saying the drains are blocked [but they are not fixing them],” Olivier said.
CEO of the Vaal Business Corporation, Klippies Kritzinger, said: “The problem is the infrastructure that has dilapidated and not has never been attended to, and it is not easy to do business when there is sewage running.”
DA MPL Kingsol Chabalala said businesses lose millions as the crisis negatively impacts their operations and residents are living in an unhealthy environment. The department of water and sanitation said R5.3bn has been earmarked for the intervention, including the upgrading of the four wastewater treatment works, which are due to be completed by 2028. Spokesperson Wisane Mavasa said from the inception, Rand Water, as the implementing agent, spent R1.36bn as of September.
“The capital projected listed will be completed on different dates and overall will take between two and four years.
“To ensure accountability and transparency, the department holds a stakeholder meeting every two weeks where the progress is reported.
She said the department conducts regular internal audits for the projects. “Also, the auditor-general of SA audits the projects and visits construction sites to verify reported progress vs expenditure incurred.”
Sowetan
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