‘We don’t fill up private water tanks,’ Tshwane metro responds to water shortage accusations

Most of the Skierlik residents who complained about the metro not delivering water to the informal settlement have private tanks, a spokesperson for the Tshwane municipality said.

“The metro cannot provide private individuals with water in the said area as this service is for the community at large from specific water drawing points,” said Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.

The provision of water in the area will only be through the metro’s water tanks stationed in the area.

His comments follow an investigation by the metro’s human settlement unit, which is responsible for rudimentary services, into allegations of water shortages at the ward 100 informal settlement in the far east of Mamelodi.

This came after residents of Skierlik, also known as Delf, claimed last week that truck drivers delivering metro water no longer filled up their JoJo tanks.

The residents said water was supposed to be delivered for free, but instead, the truck drivers hired by the metro to deliver water demanded money in return.

“It needs to be mentioned that all water tanks that the Tshwane metro has stationed onsite to supply the residents in the area with water are re-filled regularly and according to the schedule,” said Mashigo.

Nsovho Ngobeni was one of the residents who claimed that truck drivers charged them from R300 upwards, depending on the size of the JoJo tank.

“People will end up dying of thirst with empty tanks,” said Ngobeni.

Residents claimed that the truck driver took R300, promising to send trucks with water.

None, however, arrived.

“Life is hard without water,” said fellow resident Tsakane Chauke.

“Water is life, we use water for cooking, bathing and to drink.”

She said like any other informal settlement all they wanted was “basic service delivery”.

“In Skierlik our only challenge is water and without water, people will die,” she said.

“We don’t have enough tanks for everyone to get water daily.”

According to her, the water shortage was a big issue and even drug addicts saw an opportunity to make money by selling 20-litre water buckets for R20.

“The government is supposed to give us water for free – some of us can’t afford to buy water every week.

“Instead, we have walk long distances to get water and sometimes when we get there, we find JoJo tanks empty and sometimes they don’t let us get water, because there isn’t enough for everyone.”