Samantha Kuppan's yard with the exposed manhole.
Image: Supplied
A CHATSWORTH resident shared her experience with the eThekwini Municipality after sewage repairs allegedly left her home damaged and her family living in hazardous conditions.
She claimed municipal workers destroyed parts of her property during a sewage repair operation and later denied responsibility.
Samantha Kuppan, 46, of Croftdene, said her ordeal began in May 2025 when she attempted to assist elderly neighbours whose property was affected by an overflowing sewage manhole.
“The manhole was overflowing with sewage into their the yard. Since they were elderly people, I decided to help them and reported the issue to the municipality. When the municipality came through, they said the issue was in my yard,” claimed Kuppan.
She claimed the municipal workers excavated her property to a depth of approximately six metres while searching for the source of the blockage. She alleged the city officials initially informed her that a sewage pipe needed to be installed beneath her house.
“They dug six metres deep until the evening and at the end of the day they said they would return two weeks later,” she said.
Kuppan alleged that the first team abandoned the site without completing repairs and without installing the promised pipe.
A second team later informed her that the original workers had excavated the wrong area, she claimed.
“They uplifted the manhole without my consent. The second team said the first workers dug in the wrong place. They burst the pipes in my yard and our retaining wall was damaged, and then, everything started leaking,” she said.
The retaining wall, which Kuppan said had recently been constructed at a cost of R45,000, was allegedly severely damaged during the excavation work.
“When I came home from work, I was shocked. The construction site was abandoned and everything was leaking,” she said.
Samantha Kuppan's constantly sewage infested yard.
Image: Supplied
Kuppan claimed the damages spread throughout her property, affecting her kitchen plumbing, cabinets and floor tiles.
“My kitchen is destroyed. My sink tap no longer works, my cabinets have fallen due to the dampness and the tiles lifted because the pipes started lifting,” she added.
She further alleged that municipal workers returned in July 2025 and resumed digging before later informing her that the problem stemmed from a private leak and therefore fell outside municipal responsibility.
“They said they found it was a private leak and it was no longer their responsibility. When I said they had to fix what they had done, they said they had no money for repairs,” she said.
Kuppan described ongoing sewage contamination and deteriorating living conditions on the property.
“My yard is collapsing. The soil is contaminated with sewage. There are cockroaches coming out from the manhole. There are rats, snakes and a terrible smell everywhere,” she claimed.
She alleged that repeated insurance claims and appeals to the municipality was rejected after officials classified the problem as a private leak.
“I have been emailing the municipality non-stop. I am a single parent with three daughters. We cannot have visitors over and my children cannot play outside. I could not even host my daughter’s 21st birthday party at home,” she said.
Kuppan alleged that various municipal departments shifted responsibility between one another over several months.
“The sewage department first said it was a storm-water problem. Then the department handling storm-water said it was a sewage problem. Later my claim was declined because they said it was a private leak,” she said.
Damages to Samantha Kuppan's kitchen.
Image: Supplied
She further claimed that site inspections were repeatedly postponed and that communication from municipal officials ceased in October 2025 despite ongoing appeals.
“There is over R90,000 in damages in my home and no one has spoken to me since October. They are not taking responsibility,” she said.
Kuppan said she now feared allowing municipal teams back onto her property.
“I am scared to even have them back because they will make it worse. They had 20 workers the first time and did not fix anything,” she said.
She also expressed concern over the health risks posed by the damaged infrastructure.
“The broken manhole, sewage and cockroaches are a health and safety hazard. They still did not care,” she said.
Kuppan added that the prolonged dispute has caused emotional and physical strain on her family.
“This situation has caused stress and chest pains for both myself and my daughter,” she said.
At the time of publication, the eThekwini Municipality had not responded to requests for comment regarding the allegations, the status of the claim, or whether repairs would be undertaken.