Panic builds in parched Charlestown ahead of lockdown

"We are going to be locked down in a few hours and then what's going to happen to us?"

March 26, 2020

Charmaine Mazibuko 2 minutes read

Charlestown residents are angry and fearful at their buckets running dry.

With hours counting down to the 21-day national lockdown, Charlestown residents are in a state of panic, wondering if they will get the water they so desperately need not only to survive, but to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Feeling stranded and frustrated, their water woes are not new. The dire crisis in their town has gone on for years, they said, but in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, they are even more fearful they will be forgotten or worse still, that the virus will spread like wildfire through their town due to the unhygienic conditions exacerbated by having no clean, running water.

“We have no running water. We are going to be locked down in a few hours and then what’s going to happen to us? We haven’t seen a water tanker; our water buckets are empty. We also can’t get hold of our councillor, Mike Dladla [for Ward 1]. We are terrified of what might happen to us,” exclaimed Lucky Mbatha, a Charlestown resident.

Head of Technical Services, Sydney Chauke admitted there was a backlog. He candidly acknowledged that the municipality faced a challenge in terms of resources, but was putting measures in place to intensify water supply to all areas, to ensure residents are able to maintain good hygiene. Chauke further explained that Charlestown depended on boreholes for water supply, and water tankers supplemented supply when the boreholes ran dry.

Of the four water tankers the municipality ran, two are out of circulation after one broke down and another was booked in for an urgent service, leaving only two tankers to supply the entire Newcastle area.

“The tanker that was serviced is being collected today, and we are renting two additional tankers. This means we will now be operating five tankers instead of two, so we will be in a position to intensify water supply from today. The tankers will begin supplying Charlestown this afternoon, and continue tomorrow. In addition to this, CoGTA (the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs) has promised us two more tankers. Once we have seven tankers, we will be able to deliver water much more frequently. We want to ensure that everyone has access to water, especially now,” added Chauke.

Mlungisi Khumalo, Newcastle Municipality’s Head of Communications, confirmed the municipality was addressing Charlestown’s problems.

“We have sent for water tankers to be taken to the community. We are also gravely concerned about residents and understand no resident should be without water, especially at this time when we are trying to fight the coronavirus pandemic. We appeal to the community to continue expressing their service delivery problems, and technical teams will be working in trying to take care of all issues.”

Contacted for his comment, Cllr Dladla said he had alerted the municipality about the problems in Charlestown.