Let’s get honest about water shortages
We all know water is becoming more and more of a scarce resource everyday, as do we know we must use it responsibly during times of little or no rainfall.
While water shortages are affecting Zululand in its entirety, and most of KZN, some areas are worse off than others and relief by way of government intervention does not appear to be in sight for everybody.
Although provincial government-sponsored water tankers are currently doing their rounds in both uMkhanyakude and uThungulu districts, it appears to be only the rural areas that are set to benefit.
Meanwhile, residents in urban or semi-urban areas who rely on piped water, particularly in the uMkhanyakude District, have been without a continual supply since at least early June, at times going for weeks on end without a single drop of the precious resource.
Reports of vandalism to main pipelines, numerous leaks and unfair water distribution, which could be politically motivated, have been left unattended to by local government.
The permanent removal of manhole covers so people can fill buckets, have a wash and cattle and dogs can drink is fast becoming the norm in the greater Mtubatuba area.
What happens when rats, bats and other creatures fall down the hole and drown in what is meant to be our tap water?
Failing infrastructure owing to a lack of maintenance plays a major role in our region’s water supply, as does a lack of oversight to put an end to the issues described above.
The health and well being of the region’s citizens are being held to ransom as thousands of households are unable to shower, wash clothes, wash hands and wash dishes regularly.
And to think politics may or may not be at the heart of this potential health disaster takes it to a new level.
Disallowing access to what many countries consider a basic human right on the grounds of one’s political bias is simply unacceptable.
