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Several houses in Nyakallong, Allanridge, in the Free State, have been flooded or washed away by sewage flowing into the Voëlpan.

This is the same pan that flooded in 2022 and caused the R30 which crosses it to be dubbed the “road of death”, where 54 people died since.

In the process of addressing the R30 issue, the catchment area of the pan was enlarged and nothing was done to prevent the constant flow of sewage into it. At present, a pump station is entirely submerged and at least one house was washed away completely in the process, whilst several other RDP houses currently stand in the water.

Even though the provincial government has visited the site on a previous occasion and is aware of the situation, nothing has yet been done to assist residents whose houses are flooded with sewage. The municipality also is in no hurry to fix the reported sewage leaks.

The DA has reported the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission and invited them to join us for a site visit in Nyakallong. We will also highlight the plight of these residents under the ANC government by asking written questions to the provincial executive. However, urgent action must be taken to prevent further loss of life and belongings and we therefore call on the municipality and provincial government to act urgently.

The ANC government has known about this problem for a very long time and has done nothing to date. Voters need to realise that this is how little the ANC cares about them and the only lasting solution is to replace the ANC with a caring, effective government in 2024.

Issued by George Michalakis MP - DA Constituency Head: Matjhabeng Local Municipality