Kimberley – A one-year-old toddler narrowly escaped drowning in a sewage filled hole when he was saved by his 12-year-old brother in Thuthlo Street, Galeshewe, on Wednesday morning.
The child’s father, Simon Dire, said the toddler wandered out into the yard to play when he fell into the hole.
“Luckily his head was not submerged under the sewage water while his brother, Karabo, who saw him slip in reacted quickly.
“If he was not there at that exact moment, the toddler could have easily drowned or swallowed the wastewater as the hole is about knee deep.”
Dire added that the hole was dug about four months ago after he contacted the Sol Plaatje Municipality to unblock his outside toilet.
“The flush toilet is still out of order while no action was taken to cordon off the hole or fix the problem.
“I have to ask the neighbours to make use of their toilets while my children relieve themselves in the veld.”
Another neighbour with a nine-month-old baby added that she had the same problem with a sewage hole in her yard.
Spokesman for Sol Plaatje Municipality, Sello Matsie, said they had sent the sanitation unit to inspect the drains and unblock the sewer.
“If the problem persists, a hole will be dug.”
He advised residents not to throw non-biodegradable items down the drains, including shoes, plastics, blankets and sanitary products that cause major blockages in the drains.