Three small children were rescued from a flooded home in Mdantsane on Friday afternoon after a water pipe burst and flooded their house.
The children, two-year-old Mbalentle Williams and four-year-old Zingce Williams and Mivuyo Williams, were left alone by an older relative who had rushed out in desperation to seek help.
Phiwokuhle Williams, 23, said when she returned after two hours, she found the children shoulder-deep in water inside the house.
She had rushed to her mother, Ayanda Williams’ work after her numerous calls to the municipality for help drew a blank.
Williams, 54, claimed she made the first call to the municipality at 12.55pm and the second at 2.05pm – but officials kept telling her that the only plumber who was responsible for the area was not available. “I had to leave work to rush home and when I arrived at 3.30pm, BCM plumbers were yet to arrive,” she said.
Ward 11 councillor Mashwabada Gcilishe, who rushed to the scene with disaster management officials, offered blankets and food to the family as immediate relief.
Gcilishe said the notorious pipe had already burst six times.
“Last year alone it burst four times and my house was also flooded and this year, this is the second time .”
Williams said she had to take a taxi to the municipal offices in NU6 to plead for help.
One plumber arrived at 4.30pm only to discover that there was nothing he could do due to the high volume of water. When the Dispatch arrived at the house on Friday at 7.45pm, BCM disaster management officials, seven plumbers and a heavy duty excavator driver were busy on the scene. Williams said: “This would not have happened had the municipality responded on time to our call”. The children’s older sister Phiwokuhle said the pipe had burst at around midday.
“I heard a sound like rain and then the children who were playing outside, rushed inside telling me they were going to swim because there was a dam in front of our house.”
The family often have had to sleep in a sodden house the entire weekend. Williams said their furniture was ruined – and some of it even lost in the deluge.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya yesterday said the allegations about the slow response would be investigated.
“We take these allegations very seriously and BCM and I will make sure that an investigation is launched.” —
malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Three kids rescued as burst pipe floods home
The children, two-year-old Mbalentle Williams and four-year-old Zingce Williams and Mivuyo Williams, were left alone by an older relative who had rushed out in desperation to seek help.
Phiwokuhle Williams, 23, said when she returned after two hours, she found the children shoulder-deep in water inside the house.
She had rushed to her mother, Ayanda Williams’ work after her numerous calls to the municipality for help drew a blank.
Williams, 54, claimed she made the first call to the municipality at 12.55pm and the second at 2.05pm – but officials kept telling her that the only plumber who was responsible for the area was not available. “I had to leave work to rush home and when I arrived at 3.30pm, BCM plumbers were yet to arrive,” she said.
Ward 11 councillor Mashwabada Gcilishe, who rushed to the scene with disaster management officials, offered blankets and food to the family as immediate relief.
Gcilishe said the notorious pipe had already burst six times.
“Last year alone it burst four times and my house was also flooded and this year, this is the second time .”
Williams said she had to take a taxi to the municipal offices in NU6 to plead for help.
One plumber arrived at 4.30pm only to discover that there was nothing he could do due to the high volume of water. When the Dispatch arrived at the house on Friday at 7.45pm, BCM disaster management officials, seven plumbers and a heavy duty excavator driver were busy on the scene. Williams said: “This would not have happened had the municipality responded on time to our call”. The children’s older sister Phiwokuhle said the pipe had burst at around midday.
“I heard a sound like rain and then the children who were playing outside, rushed inside telling me they were going to swim because there was a dam in front of our house.”
The family often have had to sleep in a sodden house the entire weekend. Williams said their furniture was ruined – and some of it even lost in the deluge.
BCM spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya yesterday said the allegations about the slow response would be investigated.
“We take these allegations very seriously and BCM and I will make sure that an investigation is launched.” —
malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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