Pretoria North residents rally against recurring sewer issues

Frustration boiled over in Pretoria North on the weekend as residents expressed their discontent with the recurring sewer overflow on Rachel de Beer Street. 

Local councillor Quentin Meyer was confronted with a banner hanging from a bridge near the sewer, which has been damaged by the overflow. 

The banner, allegedly created by a disgruntled resident, had a derogatory message scrawled in spray paint.

However, Meyer chose not to take offence, instead finding humour in the situation. 

"Well, it's not every day you drive under a bridge and see your name in lights. Or, in this case, in red spray paint. To the creative citizen who made the 'Beware of Quentin se g*t' sign — I see you! And while I can assure you my 'g*t' is fine, the real hole is just down the road."

He explained that the large hole in the road is a result of repair work on a blocked sewage pipe underneath, and that the team can not fix the road until the blockage is cleared. 

"We're on it, and I appreciate everyone's patience while we get it sorted. In the meantime, please slow down when approaching the areaand thank you for keeping Ward 2's humour alive," he said.

Meyer even called on residents to create short videos showcasing the "celebrity pothole" to put pressure on the council to fix the issue. 

"Let's turn this into something powerful. The more videos we have, the more pressure we can put on the council to finally fix it. We can have some fun with it — laugh a bit — but also show the seriousness of the problem,” he said.

One of the residents came to Meyer's defence on social media, saying: "Now on Sunday morning, you put up a banner? People don't have peace at all. We, loyal residents of Pretoria North, know and have seen what Quentin is doing for our ward.” 

The City of Tshwane said it is aware of the sewer overflow, attributing the issue to a collapsed sewer pipe that crosses the main road. 

“We understand the convenience and disruption this has caused for both residents and business and we want to assure you that resolving this matter is a priority,” the city said.

According to the city, due to access constraints in the affected area, their technical team is conducting investigations to determine the most effective and lasting solution to the sewer overflow issue.

“While this process may take some time it is essential to ensure that the intervention will prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. We truly appreciate your patience and cooperation during this period,” the city said.

Road barriers and signage have been put in place to alert motorists to the hazardous conditions, and residents are urged to reduce speed and remain vigilant when approaching the area.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za