Had water tanker drivers delivered water as they should have, a shack fire at Retshwenyegile informal settlement could have been prevented.

These are the claims by residents who said these drivers had not filled up the three JoJo water tanks in the area since October 9 last year.

As a result, they had no water to put out a shack fire that broke out on Tuesday night.

Neighbour Sylvia Gesi said the couple living in the shack narrowly escaped death but was hospitalised for smoke inhalation.

The informal settlement is located in Pienaarspoort in the far east of Mamelodi.

“All this could have been prevented, but truck drivers have decided to stop delivering water here because of the muddy roads, which prevented trucks from getting here last year,” said Gesi.

“Residents, however, donated money from their own pockets to fix the muddy roads to allow trucks to deliver water but the truck drivers were no longer interested in filling up the tanks. Truck drivers are now demanding R150 to fill up the tanks. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government delivered the tanks for free. It’s the truck drivers’ job to fill them up.”

She said that the blaze could have been put out with water buckets, but instead residents had to look on helplessly as the shack burned.

Retshwenyegile residents said they have to walk up to 5km every day, to RDP extension 18, just to fill up one bucket of water.

“We have to walk far for a bucket of water, which is not enough for a big family,” said another resident Ben Mogopa.

“We have children going to school and they must first bath and eat porridge. Plus, we need water to cook with and for washing and drinking.”

Mogopa agreed that they could have put the fire out had there been enough water.

No one died in the fire but the couple is said to be fighting for their lives in hospital with severe injuries.

“They lost everything they owned in the fire,” Mogopa aid and blamed the truck drivers for the incident.

“If they had done their jobs, this could have been prevented.”

Community representative Simphiwe Khoza advised residents to take the registration numbers of any truck drivers who demand money to fill up JoJo tanks.

“It’s against the law and they should be brought to justice. Water is life. Everyone deserves to have water here in Retshwenyegile.”

Khoza said the community was looking into alternative roads big enough to allow trucks delivering water to drive in and make turns easily.

“Once we have found better roads, then trucks will deliver water every day.”