Local traffic station still without water

RIBA CROSS – The water problems in Tubatse are not only affecting ordinary citizens. Steelburger/Lydenburg News recently discovered that the local traffic station’s offices were also without water.

The traffic police station’s taps had been dry for the past seven weeks, and no one seemed to take responsibility for the problem. This is according to staff at the department.

A traffic officer anonymously told this reporter that they relied on the neighbour’s pit toilet to relieve themselves, as the toilets were not working due to the water shortage. “We alternatively get water from tanks; and fill up the buckets in order to be able to flush the toilets. This is hampering our work as it takes time,” said one of our sources.

The officers added that they started encountering the problems in September and was still persisting.

“We reported the matter and were told on several occasions that the problem would be addressed but to not avail,” they said.

According to our source, people who come to pay road fines and the staff working at the department queue with buckets borrowed from the nearby communities.

“We envy our colleagues who do routine patrols on the roads, because they get to escape this dilemma,” they complained.

Our reliable source added that an officer was tasked to fetch water from nearest taps. The officer reportedly ferried the loaded tanks at least three times a day.

The owner of the tanks, Ms Semathi Thwala confirmed to this reporter that the traffic station was using her property and toilets.

“I welcome a lot of them daily, they also borrowed my tanks and I don’t know when they will be returned,” she said.

The roads and transport department’s senior manager for the district, Mr Lesiba Maponya, declined to comment saying he was not allowed to talk to the media and directed all queries to the spokesman for the department, Mr Joshua Kwapa.

Kwapa’s telephone rang unanswered. The department employs more than 55 staff in this office.