KaBokweni residents up in arms over water shortages
KaBokweni has experienced an ongoing crisis and some residents feel like nothing is being done to help them combat the problem
The residents of this area feel disregarded, as they have not had clean running water for more than three months.
South Africa has been battling with an ever-increasing water shortage, and there are many factors that contribute to this.
Read: Temporary permits a must for private water tankers
Climate change impacts water quality and availability through the changes in rainfall. Rain is infrequent, leading to a smaller supply of water and, sometimes, even to drought.
South Africa has been experiencing a drought since 2015 and, therefore, a short supply of water.
KaBokweni has experienced an ongoing crisis and some residents feel like nothing is being done to help them combat the problem.
One of the residents, Sebenzile Mashigo (58), said she has been living in KaBokweni for about 30 years and there has never been a problem with water, until recently.
Mashigo told Lowvelder Express that there was a water truck from the municipality that came to supply the community with water twice a week.
Mashigo said she has to take containers into the street so that the truck can provide some for her.
KaBokweni Ward 33 councillor Kubi Manzini told Lowvelder Express that it is not the only township that has a water problem.
“I submit a proposal with all the complaints from the community and the municipality investigates whether there is enough money to solve them. I am not the one who decides which township it chooses to help.” Manzini told the paper that there is a mentality that KaBokweni is better off than the other townships, so they assume that it does not need any help and therefore is not a priority.
Manzini encouraged residents to help one another. “If you have water and your neighbour does not, it would not hurt to help them out with a bucket or two.”
