The Sunday News
WESTERN Transport Private Limited might have invited trouble from Bulawayo City Council after the transport operator allegedly built an illegal structure directly above the local authority’s sewer line.
The transport operator also stands accused of drilling a borehole right through a sewage pipe.
BCC senior public relation officer Mrs Nessisa Mpofu told Sunday News last week that the local authority was investigating the matter and would take appropriate action, once investigations are complete.
“If the transport operator is found to have contravened any of council building by-laws, appropriate penalties shall be instituted against the company but only after full investigations have been carried out and only where applicable.
“Note should be taken that council, as a service provider, is guided by municipal by-laws and other statutory instruments and hence does not act arbitrarily,” she said.
The local authority discovered that a building had been erected above its sewer line route, after a 450mm diameter sewer mains pipe running through the transport operator’s premises experienced a blockage and sewage started flowing into Matsheumhlope stream.
This led to Environmental Management Agency (EMA) threatening to issue council with a ticket.
BCC’s maintenance team working to unblock the sewage pipe realised that there was a pipe collapse which required complete replacement of a section, and it was during the excavations to correct the problem that it was realised a borehole had been drilled right through the sewage pipe.
The borehole pipe was running right through the middle of the pipe.
As the excavations continued, it was also realised that a huge ablution facility had been built directly above the route of the sewer line, hindering council workers from carrying on with the remedial work.
Mrs Mpofu said council had since re-layed the collapsed section, by-passing the ablution building and constructed two new manholes to facilitate the diversion of the sewer line.
“Council has engaged the transport operator on meeting costs of the repairs once these have been fully quantified and also once the legality of the building has been established. To that effect the operator has been asked to submit approved building plans of the ablution facility in question,” she said.
EMA toured Western Transport towards the end of last year, and condemned the transport operator for its actions.
Mr Decent Ndlovu, EMA’s provincial manager for Bulawayo, commended the local authority for taking remedial action on the blockage which he said was affecting water bodies in Bulawayo and beyond.
“The progress that is being made here is impressive. This not an easy job as council has to dig down to about four or so metres to re-lay the sewer line.
“Companies should always follow council procedures when extending their premises or building new structures.
“This case shows us exactly what it can lead to if one fails to observe by-laws and we don’t condone such action,” he said.
Efforts to contact the transport operator were fruitless as their land line numbers continuously gave a busy tone each time Sunday News called.
