Dannhauser residents are once again battling severe water shortages after thieves stole the community borehole pump that had only recently been installed to replace one stolen last year.

The original pump was stolen shortly before Christmas. Despite information reportedly being passed on to police, no arrests were made and the equipment was never recovered. Thanks to donations from supporters, Helping Hands, former residents and the Sabri Ashrafi Relief Fund, a replacement pump was installed and officially commissioned in May 2024.

Community left devastated

Helping Hands representative Farzanah Dookie said volunteers inspect the borehole every few days because employing a full-time security guard is beyond the project’s budget.

“When we went to check, everything had been stripped. We reported the matter to the police, but they wanted us to provide the names of possible suspects. There were no witnesses, so that is very difficult,” she said.

The borehole project, valued at about R85,000, became a lifeline for residents during frequent water interruptions from Amajuba District Municipality.

“Residents are devastated. Years of fundraising disappeared overnight. The Southpark borehole provided reliable access to water when municipal supplies failed, and now that has been taken away again. Water tankers are also rarely seen,” Dookie said.

She said many residents believe responsibility for water services should return to the local municipality in the hope of improving service delivery.

Appeal for assistance

Dookie acknowledged that raising funds for another replacement would be extremely difficult and appealed to businesses, organisations and members of the public to assist in restoring the community’s only reliable alternative water source.

Anyone wishing to contribute can contact Farzanah Dookie on 060 762 8423.

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