Water crisis continues in Bethal and eMzinoni
Although the municipality promised to deploy water tankers to provide temporary relief to affected communities, residents claim that some areas have not received any assistance,
Residents of Bethal and eMzinoni are facing worsening water shortages, with some households claiming they have been without water for days and have yet to see the promised water tankers deployed to affected areas.
The water crisis follows a recent notice by Govan Mbeki Municipality that Rand Water had stopped pumping water from Bloemendal to Wildebeest due to low suction pressure.
Although the municipality promised to deploy water tankers to provide temporary relief to affected communities, residents of eMzinoni claim that some areas have not received any assistance, with taps running dry even before the notice was issued.
Vusi Skhosana, a 13th Street resident in eMzinoni, said residents had already been experiencing water shortages days before the municipality’s announcement.
“To us, residents of Bethal and eMzinoni, the water issue is our daily life challenge. Even when Rand Water is pumping water to our municipality, we are always the victims, and no one wants to speak the truth from the municipality’s side.
“We always get excuses that we are in high-lying areas or that there are problems with ageing infrastructure that needs to be upgraded, but nothing is happening.
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“Last year, we saw our outgoing mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, in the Ridge Times saying the council had approved a budget to upgrade a bulk water pipeline from Trichardt to Bethal to improve our water situation.
“However, nothing has happened to date. Their term has now ended, meaning the incoming council will come up with other stories. We want water, not rhetoric,” said Skhosana.
Lwazi Mahlangu said the worsening water shortages were also affecting teaching and learning at schools, particularly as learners are currently writing their final examinations.
“Our children need to bathe and go to school clean, but at the same time, we do not have water. They cannot use the toilets because there is no water. We are facing a serious crisis.
“The municipality promised to deploy water tankers, but we have not yet seen even a single water tanker in our area. Our houses also have a bad smell coming from our toilets. This is unhealthy and could leave us with diseases,” said Mahlangu.
Govan Mbeki Municipality media liaison and content developer Donald Green acknowledged the concerns raised by residents of 13th Street. Green said Bethal and eMzinoni remain among the areas most affected by ongoing water supply challenges.
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“The municipality has deployed additional water tankers to provide temporary relief to affected communities.
“Regional managers, working closely with ward councillors, are responsible for co-ordinating the deployment and distribution of water tankers to communities experiencing water shortages.
“The concerns raised by residents of 13th Street will be brought to the attention of the relevant regional management team for assistance,” said Green.
He said the municipality continued to work closely with Rand Water to monitor the situation and minimise disruptions.
Green urged residents to use water sparingly to assist in stabilising the water supply system.
Residents requiring assistance or wishing to make enquiries can contact the municipality through its WhatsApp number (text only) on 083 790 0659 or the municipal call centre on 0800 060 046/047.
