The townspeople are up in arms against the City of Mbombela (CoM) following weeks of frustration over the undrinkable brown water they say they are being supplied.

This is over and above the years of worsening water challenges that the CoM has failed to resolve in this town, and the residents are now concerned that they might have to face the festive season without clean water.

“It is over a week now that the municipality has failed to deliver basic services such as clean drinking water, which is a basic human right. Those of us whose taps still have some water are exposed to brown water that nobody can drink,” said an irate resident who opted to remain anonymous.

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Attempts to get the CoM spokesperson, Joseph Ngala’s comment on this matter, have proved fruitless on several occasions.

Some CoM municipal officials who live in White River confirmed that they were aware about the situation, but that they too were affected by this.

“There is just not much we can do about the situation. Some of us work in the municipality and are also affected by it,” said a CoM employee who also asked not to be identified for fear of being victimised.
Meanwhile a resident of a block of flats in the town, Washington Krits, said he repeatedly tried to contact the municipal office in White River to ask for a solution. “I have always been redirected to another phone extension where I was made to hold the line forever until I was forced to hang up,” Krits said.

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Another desperate resident, Chris Odendaal, said the CoM was taking the residents of White River for granted.

“The infrastructure is deteriorating, but nothing is done about it. The issue of water has been ongoing for many years in the area, and some top officials at the CoM are fully aware about this situation, as they also reside here. The municipality was supposed to make the water crisis a priority, because we have our kids at home now too since the schools are on holiday. We are forced to buy clean water, but we also pay for services,” said Odendaal.

Vuyo Ndlovu concurred and said the water problems were getting out of hand.

“We have numerous leaks that are not being attended to even if they are reported. Now we have no water in some of the houses. We are in the festive season and the CoM is dragging its feet to resolve this problem. The municipality is aware that the water from the taps is dirty and not safe for consumption. All we need is clean water,” he said.

The residents of the nearby Hillsview Settlement share their water woes with the White River residents.

“We sometimes have to ask the people from Hillsview for water. We are now running out of patience, and we shall have to resort to a protest, because that is the only language that the government understands better,” said Johan Nkosi.