It is very interesting that we, the people who pay for water, are being restricted in our use but the people who do NOT pay can use water as they like.

I travel to Wembezi at least once a week and it is amazing that the water can flow as it wills there. I see now that Uthukela  seems to be in a little earnest with the restrictions – somebody has removed the tops off the taps so that they cannot just open the tap and leave the water to run as it pleases but what did I see when I went there this week?

A lady coming to do her washing at the communal tap with a pair of pliers in her hand to open the tap.  And it serves no purpose in taking the whole head off the pipe because then somebody will just do what they did last time.

That is breaking it open and let the water spray like a shower for all to help themselves. My real complaint with the water in Wembezi is that there are broken pipes under the ground or there are leaking pipes and the water just runs and nobody does anything about it.

I have also seen people doing their washing – what I call ‘Wembezi-style’.  The basket of washing is put under the tap, the tap is opened and the person/people are nowhere to be seen. Then later the same thing is done to rinse the washing.

Many times I drive a little way – stop – get out and close the tap – get into the car again and carry on to the next tap. What should take me about 20 minutes takes much longer because of my stop – go system.

I cannot stand the fact that I am paying for water and others are just wasting it with no regard for anybody else. I have also been told by my friends in Wembezi that the water belongs to everybody so why must they not use it as they want – the Lord will give more!?

I also see in the paper that the water might be switched off some or other time; I sincerely hope that Uthukela will let us know which days or nights that might be because I do a lot of my washing during the night – yes, during the night.

When I hear that the machine has finished with a cycle I get up and re-load the machine so that by morning the washing is ready to go onto the line outside.

If we are not informed in good time machines (as I am sure I am not the only person who washes through the night) could burn out and is the Water Affairs then going to replace my machine?

Ansje du Plessis