“We are not animals!” says Ncandu Park residents
Residents claimed to find worms in the water delivered by water tankers.
Ncandu Park has been at the forefront of Newcastle’s ongoing municipal water crisis for more than a month, with residents continuing to go without a stable water supply.
And when water does come in the form of tankers, sometimes the water is filled with worms…
However, despite a community pushed to its limits – begging for help, water and basic municipal services – it was remarkable to see how united the residents remain.
They help one another, rely on one another and stand together through the toughest of times, despite feeling neglected and ignored by the rest of town.
The Newcastle Advertiser met up with a group of residents this week, who said they were at their wits’ end with the ongoing water crisis, claiming Ncandu Park had been hit the hardest.
“We are treated like animals! We’re helpless and we don’t know where to turn anymore! No one can help us, no matter how hard they might try.
“Our voices are just not being heard. We need to stop calling it a Newcastle problem, because the truth is that it’s NOT a town problem. The town has been getting water more frequently. This is an Ncandu problem because, a month later, we still hardly have water!” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous.
Residents speak up
To protect residents’ identities and allow them to speak openly without fear of possible intimidation, the Advertiser has withheld their surnames.
‘John’ claimed the area had received only about five days of uninterrupted water supply over the past month.
“I am a 76-year-old pensioner and have to battle to carry water buckets to and from my house. We’re elderly people living here and we cannot live like this anymore. We can’t do our washing or our chores, we can’t cook or clean ourselves properly, and we even have to battle to use a toilet because we cannot flush. I am very disappointed in our municipality and the so-called technicians they have brought in,” he said.
‘Lani’ described the ongoing water crisis as completely unacceptable.
“It has not only affected our physical health, but our mental and spiritual health too. We’re tired, we’re depleted and we deserve better than this. I don’t earn a lot of money, so I cannot afford to buy water every day. It’s killing us!” she exclaimed.
‘Jenny’ questioned where municipal management had been during the crisis, claiming that no one had visited the community to address residents’ concerns or even offer an apology.
She also thanked NDRF candidates Shawn and Marlize for their dedicated assistance over the past month, saying they had regularly done their best to help wherever they could.
“We’re completely ignored by our administration. Our people are suffering, especially our elders and our children. We also don’t see tankers here every day and, when we questioned it, we were told to stop being greedy because everyone in Ncandu Park must get water, not just us.”
She continued that, “What I would like to know is that, if water is a basic human right, why aren’t we allowed to receive it? Why can we not get a water tanker every day? Is this not a direct violation of our basic human rights?”
Adding to the accounts of hardship, ‘Bonolo’ said there were days when water was so scarce that she had to prioritise her toddlers’ cleanliness over her own.
“I am struggling here. We are all struggling here. It’s tough living in these conditions.”
‘Zahra’ told the Advertiser that trying to run a household in Ncandu Park had become a daunting task.
“We’re basically just women at home for the majority of the day and we are expected to run after trucks and carry buckets of water, which are heavy. We even have our young children carrying buckets of water and that isn’t fair. Then another concern is the inconsistent times the tankers come through our area. Their schedules simply don’t make sense anymore.”
She added that, “We have even resorted to using paper plates and cups to eat and drink out of, because we can’t do simple household chores like washing dishes or even clothes.”
‘Lyric’ claimed that the past month had taken an emotional and mental toll on Ncandu Park residents.
“This is such a violation of our human rights and the municipality knows this, but also, what can we do? We’re sitting here and watching them break the law and we’re helpless. That alone is mentally tiring.”
Lyric also suggested that Ncandu Park might be being punished for standing up to the municipality last month, after residents went 10 consecutive days without a single drop of water.
A group of angry residents stormed the municipal building, interrupting a municipal meeting and demanding to be addressed by management about the water crisis.
However, residents believe that, instead of receiving answers and assistance, the situation has deteriorated and they are now being punished for challenging the administration.
“It really is bad here! They blatantly disregard us,” said Lyric.
Elderly residents ‘Ntombi’ and ‘Busiwe’ said they were physically exhausted from carrying heavy buckets of water. They added that the ongoing struggle had also left them mentally drained.
“We sit every day praying the truck comes past us. We don’t know what time or on what day they will come past, but for the most part, they just speed past us and make us run after them, screaming and begging them to stop. It is dehumanising!”
They added that residents sometimes wait outside their gates until after 23:30 for a water tanker to pass.
“We sit outside our gates and wait the whole day for a water tanker to come past us and if you’re not already outside, then shame, they will not wait for you.”
Residents also alleged that water supplied by municipal tankers had been contaminated with worms.
“Just last week, we found worms in the water after collecting from a tanker. How is that okay? We’re already struggling here and then we get given water that will make us sick?
“We cannot live like this anymore; it simply isn’t right!”
The Advertiser has sent media enquiries to the municipality regarding the water issues in the town, but has yet to receive a formal response.
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