Abahlali baseDunoon balwa nedama eliphuphumayo
Abahlali abali-172 bachatshazelwe kukunyuka kwamanzi kunye nokuphuphuma kwedama
Peter Luhanga
Bebonke bakwikhulu elinamashumi asixhenxe anesibini abahlali abatsala nzima ngenxa yokuphuphuma kwedama okubangelwa kukuphuphuma kwemvula yasebusika kumatyotyombe ase-Ekuphumuleni eDunoon ngaseMilnerton.
Limi ngasemva kweholo kamasipala waseDunoon, idama, ngoku likumanqanaba aphezulu, lophule iindonga zalo, lathumela umlambo omnyama, ongcolisekileyo owela kumatyotyombe akufuphi.
Amanzi, amdaka ngebala, azele bubutyobo nenkunkuma yasekhaya, ekhupha ivumba elirhabaxa, elifana nomjelo ogutyungelwe lindle eligqugqisayo kulo mmandla.
Amakhreyithi afunjwa phantsi kweebhedi kunye nefenitshala njengoko abahlali bezama ukuphakamisa izinto zabo ngaphezu kwendawo egqobhozayo kunye nemigangatho emanzi.
Ukunyuka kwetafile yamanzi kukhokelele kumbono ophazamisayo: ifilimu engcolileyo, i-scummy igubungele umphezulu wamanzi, ngelixa umoya unzima kunye nevumba elibi longcoliseko, isikhumbuzo esicacileyo seemeko zokuphila ezinobungozi kule ndawo yokuhlala.
NgoMgqibelo, umhla wama-20 kaJulayi 2024, kanye phambi kwemini emaqanda, amatyotyombe ayethe zwabha kumanzi amdaka amdaka, equkuqela emiseleni engekho nzulu abahlali ababeyimbe phakathi kwamatyotyombe ngelizama ukuphambukisa isikhukula emakhayeni abo.
Phezu kwayo nje imigudu yabo, amanzi aqhubeka engena kwiindawo ababehlala kuzo njengomthombo ongayekeleliyo, ezalise amakhaya ngokukhawuleza kangangokuba isikhonkwane ngasinye satshintshwa ngokukhawuleza.
ULindile Nxana, 43, uneminyaka elishumi elinesithoba ehlala kumatyotyombe Ekuphumuleni, ehlala kwityotyombe elinamagumbi amabini kunye nenkosikazi yakhe nabantwana babo abathathu abaneminyaka elishumi, 11, 23.
Wazama ukusebenzisa iingxowa zenkunkuma zikamasipala ezibekwe phantsi ukunqanda amanzi angena kwigumbi lakhe lokulala, kodwa akuzange kuncede nto.
Yena, ekunye nenkosikazi nabantwana bakhe, bafudukele kwigumbi lakhe lokuphumla, elisebenza njengekhitshi, kwaye ebelele apho ukusukela oko kwane izantyalantyala zemvula ngoLwesine, umhla we-18 kaJulayi, ngo-2024.
“Amanzi aphuma emhlabeni (ngaphakathi kwigumbi lakhe lokulala). Xa sikha amanzi kungekapheli nomzuzu aphinde agcwale”, utsho uNxana.
Ngaphandle nje kwetyotyombe lakhe, wembe umsele ongekho nzulu ukwalathisa ukuphuphumala okuvela edamini, ngoku oqukuqela phakathi kwamatyotyombe ukwehla nomlambo ukuya kwamanye.
“Ubusika obudlulileyo bebufana. IsiXeko saseKapa kufuneka size nesicwangciso sethu [malunga nedama],” utshilo.
Umama wabantwana abathathu uNokuthula Peti, 33, uhlala kwityotyombe lakhe elinegumbi elinye nabantwana bakhe, oyena umncinci unenyanga nje ezintandathu ubudala, umntwana ophakathi oneminyaka emithandathu ubudala, noyena umdala uneminyaka elishumi elinesibini.
Abantwana abaphakathi nabadala balala phantsi kwityotyombe elinegumbi elinye, ngelixa uNokuthula nosana belala ikota.
NgoLwesihlanu we-19 kaJulayi 2024, wabuza umzala wakhe kunye nommelwane ukuba angahlalisa na abantwana abalele phantsi, njengoko amanzi aphuma phantsi ayengayeki kwaye nokukhupha amanzi ayengasebenzi.
“Abantwana bam balele kwityotyombe likamzala wam, njengoko ityotyombe lam limanzi,” utsho uPeti.
Njengoko umntu engena ngaphakathi kwityotyombe lakhe, inyathelo ngalinye livakala ngathi umhlaba unokuvuleka, umgangatho ukhupha isandi esincwinayo.
Uvakalelo aluzinzi, ngokungathi umhlaba onamanzi unokuginya unyawo ngalunye. Likhaya lakhe eli. Kanye emva kwetyotyombe lakhe kukho idama esele liphelele.
Umzala kaPeti, uNikiwe Tshoba, umama wabantwana abathathu, uchaze indlela abangakhange balale ngayo ukusukela oko kwanetha kakhulu kwiveki ephelileyo, esoyikela ukuba idama lingagqobhoza iindonga zalo kwaye likhukulise amatyotyombe ekupheleni.
“Sidinga uncedo. Kulungiswe idama okanye sifudusele kwenye indawo. Amanzi amdaka, ngathi ngumjelo ovulekileyo. Kummandla ongasentla wamatyotyombe eBekhela, abanazo izindlu zangasese. Ilindle labo balilahla edamini nakumjelo wamanzi osuka kuhola wendlela uN7 odlula kule ndawo yokuhlala”, utsho uTshoba.
Ngethuba eli dama liqala ukufikelela kwisithuba seveki ephelileyo, uthi bayixele kwiiNkonzo zoMlilo noHlangulo zeSixeko, kodwa akukho mntu uphenduleyo.
Kunyaka ophelileyo, bawuchaza lo mba kuLawulo lweNtlekele kwiSixeko; beza, bawabhala phantsi amagama abo, yaba sisiphelo sayo eso.
“Ukuba besirenta, besinokuphuma kula makhaya ukuze sikhuseleke, kodwa singabanikazi bawo kwaye sinemitha yombane yakwaEskom. Sizithengela umbane,” utsho.
Inkokeli yala matyotyombe, uThobeka Hlamvana, uthi bebefuna ukungena kwiholo kamasipala waseDunoon kodwa ibhungana laseBlaauwberg liziphendulele ngelithi abantu abachaphazelekileyo babaninzi kwaye iholo kamasipala ayizukubathatha bonke kwaye iza kubangela isiphithiphithi.
UHlamvana uthi baqulunqe uluhlu lwabahlali abachaphazelekileyo ukusukela ngeCawe umhla weshumi elinesine kweyeKhala, emva nje kwesaqhwithi, nalapho bachonge abantu abakwikhulu elinamashumi asixhenxe anesibini, kuquka nabantwana abancinci, abathe bachatshazelwa ziimvula zasebusika ezingayekiyo.
Ukuphuphuma kwedama kunye nokunyuka kwamanzi kubangele ukuba amanzi angene ngqo kumakhaya abo ukusuka ngaphantsi komhlaba.
Umanejala weBhungana 3 uRoxanne Moses uthi isebe lolawulo lwentlekele kwibhungana lakhe liye lavavanya amatyotyombe kufutshane nedama ngempelaveki laza lawathembisa “ukugaya” laza labuya ngoMvulo, umhla wama-22 kuJulayi, 2024, ukuze kuphononongwe ngakumbi. “Bakwanikezela nangezixhobo zokunceda kwizikhukula, utsho uMoses