KwaNcalozolo residents forced to share water with donkeys
Ward 2 resident Rosemary Mbhele said they do not know who to turn to for help.
Residents in Ward 2 in KwaNcalozolo under Umzumbe Municipality feel as if their dignity is being compromised as they share water with donkeys, cows and dogs.
Abigail Phungula, who has lived in the area for over 20 years, said they collect water from a river as they do not have a community tap that supplies the area with water.
She said they now fear for their lives since they drink water they feel is unsafe.
Another resident, Rosemary Mbhele, raised concerns about the distance they have to walk to get to the river.
Mbhele explained that sometimes they have to force themselves to walk to the river in fear of collapsing from dehydration due to a lack of water in the area.
Additionally, Phungula stated that the Ugu District Municipality installed a few pipes in the area a few years ago, but no water has been coming out of those pipes.
“We have asked for water tankers, but we are told that sometimes the trucks struggle to drive on our bad roads, and what confuses us is that the water tankers that people hire to bring water, these trucks go up and down our road anytime, so we are note sure what the problem is,” she said.
Mbhele said they do not know who to ask for help.
She said they feel as if the government is distancing itself from her community.
“We don’t know who would be able to help us. I honestly do not know what we would do if we woke up and the river was dry. We can’t even buy water because when you hire a water tank, they say it costs R1500. That amount is too much for us pensioners,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ugu District Municipality said KwaNcazolo is currently being supplied from the Mahlabashana system, which is experiencing strain due to the imbalance between demand and supply.
The municipality said the long-term plan for the uMngeni-uThukela bulk supply is to upgrade the treatment works.
It said it recently undertook an upgrade in Mabheleni, incorporating the installation of new infrastructure in KwaNcazolo.
“On completion of this upgrade, the system is nearing commissioning, projected to take place between August and September. During this period, the command reservoir will be filled during water rationing, and each zone will undergo testing and commissioning. Presently, the community of KwaNcazolo is receiving water relief every Wednesday during the infrastructure installation,” said the municipality.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page
