Cape Town – For two weeks, families living in Heinz Park have been left destitute and without fresh water while their homes were flooded in recent heavy rains.
Among those affected is Brian Diamond, 18, who was left paralysed after he was shot by gangsters while playing in the front yard of his home in 2006. He was 3 years old at the time.
Brian’s mother, Ronel Diamond, was also one of the victims and was lucky to survive.
For weeks, the family has battled with buckets of water, collected from neighbouring Marcus Garvey or relying on neighbours for assistance.
This week, the water service was restored while residents were also left to battle floods in the area.
For Brian’s family, the water interruption had brought more complications and agony. Brian is fed liquids via a feeding pipe and suffers from epileptic fits.
Brian’s grandmother, Mary Waterloo, who helps to care for him, said they battled for weeks to make sure he was fed and had clean water to wash with.
“Brian drinks milk and without fresh water, it would have been impossible to feed him,” said Waterloo.
“We had to rely on neighbours who fetched water in Marcus Garvey. We understood there was a truck that delivered water, but that was at the entrance of Heinz Park and we were informed too late about the services.
“It was a battle because we have two babies inside the house, the youngest of which is six months old.
“Brian’s fits have increased now, he gets it three times a day and doctors have warned us this would happen. We are unable to do anything and have to wait until it has passed.”
Waterloo’s neighbour, Ivy Arries, was one of several people who also had to battle without water. They had found a pipe nearby where they could retrieve water from.
“If it’s not the water, we have to worry about our homes being flooded or the homes leaking. We had access to a water pipe which was not too far from our home where we could get water,” Arries said.
Last year, Brian received a specialised wheelchair and his home was revamped, thanks to generous donors such as Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his wife Rachel and their organisation, the Kolisi Foundation.
Esther Lewis, of the provincial Department of Social Development, said they could not comment on the water interruption but they did give support to families like Brian’s.
“The department and its NPO partners offer various services to people with special needs. Social work services include psychosocial support.
“Each case is unique and interventions are done based on assessments of that individual’s situation,” said Lewis.
City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for waste and water, Alderman Xanthea Limberg, said the water shortage issue was attended to after receiving complaints from residents.
They discovered that a strainer from a feeding pipe had become blocked.
“At the time of receiving this query, the local Water and Sanitation Depot had not received any service requests regarding water supply disruption or low water pressure through standard reporting channels.
“This occurs when a previous burst leaves small, stone-like pieces of broken pipe material in the line, which then get caught in the strainer, blocking the holes. This created the disruption of water supply. The strainer was cleaned and water supply has been restored to normal.
“A strainer is installed on large water connections before the bulk water meter for the entire supply zone, and protects this infrastructure in the event of debris that may find its way into the line,” said Limberg.
She added that vandalism had also interrupted electricity services in the area earlier this year.
“Heinz Park pump station was vandalised in February this year, causing damage to an electrical panel and affecting the power supply to the station.
“We are looking at the overall issue of water and flooding in the area.”
Weekend Argus