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"THE CITY HAS TO FIX MY HOUSE"

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Madala Mzwandile Mvumvu’s house started cracking four years ago. Photo by Lindile Mbontsi
Madala Mzwandile Mvumvu’s house started cracking four years ago. Photo by Lindile Mbontsi

MADALA Mzwandile Mvumvu (63) is a man at the end of his tether.

At first he used to breathe in the smell of sewage from his neighbour’s broken pipe.

The pipe was fixed, but now the madala has a bigger problem.

His house developed cracks in 2015 and he worries that it might collapse at any time.

“When I’m inside the garage I can see the sun through the cracks. As for my bedroom, I have to put up planks to support the wall,” he said.

The madala said the City of Cape Town told him to move out of the house because it is too dangerous to live there.

“But where should I go?” he said.

He told the SunTeam he had been living at the house for 35 years and described it as his children’s inheritance.

“It breaks my heart to see my house collapsing like this,” he said.

Former councillor Siya Mamkeli, who visited the madala when he still worked for the City, said: “I assessed the problem and returned with officials from the City of Cape Town.”

After the visit, officials hired a company to determine whether the municipality was to blame.

Mamkeli said from what he observed, the City’s sewage pipes caused the damage.

“The City has to take responsibility and fix the house,” he said.

Madala Mzwandile said: “My lawyers want R25 000 to initiate the case, but I don’t know how much more they will need in future.”

Finance MMC Ian Neilson said: “The City is not able to comment on the matter until legal proceedings relating to the claim are concluded.”

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