Frustrated Sand River residents face ongoing hardship after the City of Mbombela (CoM) failed to meet its July deadline to restore a reliable water supply.

Speaking to the Hazyview Herald in April, CoM spokesperson Joseph Ngala explained the delay. “There is currently a shortage of materials in our municipal stores,” he said.

“As soon as the material is available, pipe installation will begin. We are planning to complete everything by July after our annual budget. For now, we will ensure that water tankers are supplying the area with water weekly.”

Promises broken as taps remain dry

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July has come and gone, and residents say nothing has changed. They claim there has been no progress on the long-awaited pipe installation, despite taps having been installed nearly 10 years ago.

According to residents, the taps have never provided a reliable water supply, leaving families to struggle daily in search of water.

Residents also dispute the municipality’s statement that it provides weekly water tankers.

According to community members, no tankers have delivered water to the area for the past two years, forcing many households to buy water from private suppliers whenever they can afford it.

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Those who cannot afford to purchase water say they have no choice but to collect water from nearby streams, where livestock and wild animals also drink.

Residents fear the water may be contaminated and say the situation poses serious health risks, particularly for children, the elderly and people living with chronic illnesses.

“We are suffering every day. We have taps, but they have never supplied water,” said one frustrated resident.

“We have been promised solutions for years, yet nothing changes. We are now forced to buy water or collect it from streams shared with animals.”

Community demands urgent action

The prolonged water crisis has also affected schools, households and local livelihoods, with residents calling on the municipality to urgently honour its commitments and provide a permanent solution instead of repeated promises.

The community is now demanding answers from the CoM on why the July completion deadline was missed, what caused the continued delays, and when the Sand River water project will finally be completed.

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At the time of publication, the CoM had not yet provided an updated timeline for the project or responded to residents’ concerns regarding the absence of water tanker services.