Anger is mounting after the municipality issued a water supply interruption notice less than 16 hours before taps were turned off across Zeekoewater Agricultural Holdings, portions of Blanchville, Marelden Extensions, and eMalahleni Extension 10.

The shutdown, which began at 08:00 on December 11 and is set to last until 08:00 on December 13, was announced with barely any lead time for residents and businesses to prepare.

In their statement, the municipality cited infrastructure works at Jumbo Mall, including tying in internal water reticulation, installing isolation valves and smart meters, interconnection works, and system testing.

Issuing a communication after office hours, on the eve of a major disruption, left communities scrambling with no realistic opportunity to store water or plan.

“I am extremely disappointed by the way this water outage has been communicated to the affected communities. The official notice was only issued yesterday at 16:44, informing residents of a prolonged water outage starting today at 08:00 and lasting until Saturday. This gave the community no reasonable time to prepare,’ said Ward 20 councillor, Maureen Scheepers.
The municipality’s assurance that water tankers would be stationed only at clinics has done little to calm outrage.

“Despite my request for clarity on why prior notice was not issued well in advance, no explanation has been provided. It is also deeply concerning that the municipality has stated that water tankers will be deployed only to strategic areas, such as clinics. Yet, the ward does not have clinics or hospitals. There are no communal JOJO tanks in Ward 20 either, despite a petition submitted requesting it for situations like these,” Scheepers said.

Adding insult to injury, the municipality admitted that two additional days would be required for testing, recharging, and recovery of the system, meaning residents could face longer delays before normal supply resumes.

“This lack of planning and disregard for the basic needs of our community is unacceptable. Residents deserve timely communication, proper contingency plans, and respect during service interruptions. I will continue demanding accountability and immediate alternative arrangements to ensure our community does not suffer as a result of the municipality’s failure to plan and communicate appropriately,” Scheepers added.

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