MAKHANDA - Residents are pointing fingers at the Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, after a 14-year-old pupil was swept away by floodwaters.
Endinako Dudu-Buni was swept away by the raging Kowie River in Makhanda on Tuesday afternoon, on her way home from school.
Her lifeless body was recovered the next day.
Residents said the municipality's failure to deal with blocked drains and poor infrastructure has led to her death.
Makana local municipality engineering and infrastructure MMC, Mphumzi Xonxa, has rejected accusations that they're responsible for Endinako's death, stating they're actively working to address infrastructure problems.
"The issue of sewer spillages is one that it's been affected by the aging infrastructure. This doesn't mean that the municipality it's folding its arms in trying to resolve that. That place it's not meant to be a crossover in the first place. So, it's only people who would really want to take short cuts of which it's not convenient for people to cross there."
Xonxa says they'll include a smaller bridge if it's needed, to sort out the problem.
eNCA's Nceba Ntlanganiso reports.