Durban - The Msunduzi Municipality has warned its residents to refrain from building houses on top of its infrastructure, saying it will not be held accountable for any damage that results from this.
This comes after the municipality discovered that houses in one of the areas under its control were on the verge of collapse because they were built on top of a water pipe.
It said: “Residents need to follow proper procedures before they build houses. We do mark specific areas where people are not supposed to build houses, but they choose to ignore the signs. This can be avoided, but we also urge residents to work with us and avoid building on top of the infrastructure.”
The warning comes after the municipality’s deputy mayor and chairperson of the infrastructure committee Mxolisi Mkhize visited Esigodini, near Edendale, where a burst pipe has been reported, resulting in water supply interruption in the area.
“Upon arrival at Esigodini, the team made a shocking discovery that the affected house was built on top of the pipe. As the assessments continued, the team noticed that the foundation of the house and the walls were already on the verge of collapse due to the water pressure in the underground pipes,” it said.
Mkhize spoke to the owner of the house, who told him that he has been residing in the area for more than 30 years and has never experienced challenges of burst water pipes.
Mkhize expressed his concern over the negligence of most residents living in Esigodini.
“We have been warning residents not to build on top of the infrastructure. We are saddened that it has come to this. There is no easy way to resolve this issue – people cannot stay without water, that is why this house needs to be demolished, to fix the pipe and restore water supply.”
The municipality said it will not be held accountable for damage to property should it be found that residents have erected structures on top of municipal infrastructure. The owner of the house will not be compensated for the damage caused, but the infrastructure committee made a call to the Disaster Management Unit to provide urgent assistance in the form of a temporary residential unit.