Water, wherefore art thou?
One angry resident, Joseph Mthimkhulu, said they have been living without water for two months and the municipality was turning a blind eye to their water crisis
WASHING hands regularly is regarded as the most effective way of preventing coronavirus infections, but Mankwanyaneni Reserve residents say they are powerless as they have no consistent water supply.
One angry resident, Joseph Mthimkhulu, said they have been living without water for two months and the municipality was turning a blind eye to their water crisis.
‘The city has not even commissioned water tankers to supply the community. As the lockdown looms, we will suffer severely as we will be confined to our homes.
‘When President Ramaphosa announced the shutdown on Monday, he said police and soldiers will be monitoring the situation and that anyone found roaming the streets would be jailed.
‘We fully support the measures, but we feel neglected by our own municipality. We don’t have water with which to wash and cook our food,’ Mthimkhulu said.
He accused the city of being negligent, saying the municipality’s actions infringe their constitutional right to have access to basic services.
‘What angers us most is that the municipality doesn’t communicate with us.
We are left in the dark and don’t know what is happening,’ he said.
Ward 25 councillor Thami Mathe admitted to the area’s water challenges.
‘At this point in time I can’t say exactly where the problem lies. Supply continues to be intermittent and sometimes there is no water for days. I have contacted the municipality to look into the issue,’ he said.
City of uMhlathuze Communications Manager, Mdu Ncalane said, it was discovered that one of the water pumps was not working properly.
‘Our technicians are working around the clock to ensure that water supply is restored as soon as possible,’ said Ncalane.
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