This stream is dangerous to the community

Community Alerts/ Rhona Riet/ Vaal- Gauteng/16 September 2016

The stream in Snake Park has been here since the late 90’s, the source of it was from water pumps and sewer network. The stream flows right into the community’s and come up with great risks, a primary school called Theha-setjhaba situated right next to the stream is affected and an informal settlement too, then it goes further in the other block, its surrounding is pleasant for Ward 7 community and during rainy days people struggle to cross this stream. There is a foot path by the stream, it gets all slippery and it over floods, children have fallen into the stream before and fortunately with them no loss of life registered because they were rescued on time. Animals are drinking from the stream, though we haven’t so far heard of any animals dying. But our community instead have complained about the streams surroundings.

In winter times criminals use to take advantage in the stream and hide nearby to hurt people, dead bodies have been found dumped in the stream in the past.

The community took efforts and went to plead with the municipality to close it up as it’s a health hazard for people who lives nearby; people are losing their lives during winter times, to date the municipality has not acted upon the community request and it is now getting worse, people are now dumping into the stream all kinds of objects. And now the only thing we see which is useful they set the Riets on fire during winter.