Seriously Sewerage

Well, this is interesting. Waterfall Estate - a very upmarket estate in Midrand. Rentals start at R40k per month, average homes rent for around R60 to R70k per month. Many rent for over R100k per month!

Prices for houses range from R8m to over R35m!

The Jukskei river runs through there, and as most of you might know, it also runs past a massive squatter camp near Sandton. So, the water is suspect at best, very dirty, but okay for viewing, and for the little dams that have been built along it's route through the estate. They also have a rather large dam next to the clubhouse. It's very picturesque, kept stocked with fish (but no fishing allowed there), and has a large birdlife. Nice. Pretty.

In the past few weeks, a big sewerage pipe, somewhere along the river, popped. All the sewerage is now spilling into the river, running through the estate, and has filled the dam! Living there now smells like living next door to a working sewerage farm!

The Johannesburg municipality have told the owners of the estate that they are not allowed to employ contractors to do the required repairs, at it is a municipal problem, so they will sort it out. However, they have no money now, so it can't be done, yet.

Seriously, you have an estate full of stinking rich people who are willing to pay for the repairs out of their own pockets, and you won't let them? Yup, that's the ANC / African mentality for you. Go figure - they more stupid than I originally thought - not that I ever doubted there stupidity.

This means that once it is done, if ever, the river will have to run for a few months to wash away all the sewerage, and the dams will have to be emptied, cleaned out, and refilled. And as we coming to what would normally be the end of our rainy season, this situation could be around for another 12 months.

Glad I don't have to drive past that dam everyday. Or live near it.