PHALABORWA – Residents of Boelang have now gone two months without running water after recent floods damaged and washed away the main pipelines supplying the area.

The prolonged outage has left many residents frustrated and has eroded confidence in the leadership of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, particularly Mayor Merriam Malatji.

“This is madness”

One disgruntled resident said the situation has become unbearable, noting that water tankers have not been seen in the area for the past two weeks. She claimed that when trucks do arrive, they often proceed to the neighbouring village of Maseke instead.

“Things are getting out of hand. We are desperate. I have to travel to town to try to find water for washing dishes, flushing the toilet, and bathing. On Sunday, March 15, I went to town only to find there was no water there either due to water shedding. I ended up calling someone with a borehole just to get water. This is madness,” she said.

Tanker deliveries irregular, say locals

Another resident expressed anger in a voice note shared on a community WhatsApp group, describing the lack of water supply as unacceptable.

“Why are you denying us water tankers? Do you know how many people here don’t have cars? People are pushing wheelbarrows, going from place to place just to fetch water. How can anyone sleep at night while denying people their basic right?” she said.

Ward 10 Cllr Sinah Shayi told the Herald that water tankers have been dispatched regularly, stating that trucks visited the area three times last week.

Councillor says contractor appointed

Addressing plans to restore supply, Shayi said a contractor has been appointed to install a new pipeline connecting the village.

“The contractor has already begun clearing the road to allow vehicles to reach the site where the new pipe will be installed. They initially indicated that water could be restored within two weeks, but ongoing rain has delayed progress,” she said.

Some residents, however, believe the municipality acted too slowly.

They argue that had repairs been completed before the recent extended rainfall, the water supply might already have been restored.

Community raises funds to fix pipes themselves

In the meantime, community members have taken matters into their own hands, raising funds to purchase materials to repair the damaged pipeline themselves, citing frustration over the delays.

Also read: Phalaborwa faces water crisis as infrastructure fails