Service non-delivery affects all

I WOKE up on Thursday February 13 to find that the municipal drain (termed a "common drain") that traverses the back garden of my property was blocked.

I telephoned the 0800 number and Thabo gave me a reference number.

By late afternoon nobody had come to attend to the problem so I phoned again and Megan assured me I was "on the list".

On Friday morning I still had other people's sewage flowing in my garden.

I phoned and Megan assured me again that I "was on the list."

Amazingly, at about lunch time a lady from the municipality phoned and asked "Are you happy. How is your drain now?"

When I told her that no one had been to attend to the problem she just terminated the call.

Another call to Megan at 3pm got the standard "list" response.

I gave up and spent over R600 on plumbers rods, a drain plunger and a drain screw.

With my son's help and the equipment, we managed to fix the problem.

It is now Sunday 16 and I still have not had anyone from the municipality come to my house.

As I said, the drain is in my back garden so I had to take time off work to wait for the municipal non-service.

Residents in the so-called poorer areas must not feel that they are the only victims of service non-delivery.

Ken Mackenzie, Mill Park