Tsakane – Residents of Tsakane took to the streets on July 23 after their water was cut off.
According to a number of residents, the taps ran dry on Sunday.
The angry residents were met by JMPD and SAPS officers on the corner of Modjaji and Malandela streets before returning to their homes, leaving burning tyres and rocks on the road.
Businesses such as car washes and hair salons were hard hit by the lack of water and had to close their doors while waiting for the water to be turned back on.
“We were not notified about the water being cut off.
“We only realised that there was no water when we opened the taps to try work and there was no water,” says car wash owner Simphiwe Gxabhashe.
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His colleague Even Rakgwale says this is a big inconvenience for them as they rely on their car wash for money.
“It would be better if we were actually notified because we could have made a plan.
“Right now we are hungry because when we wash a car or two, we are able to get something to eat for lunch,” he explains.
Households were also inconvenienced by the water cuts and resorted to collecting water from the Tsakane Police Station, which has running water.
Resident Patricia Chezi says she is unable to clean or cook without water.
“If you could see the state of my house, you would be shocked.
“Our children have been sent home from school because of this water cut and we can’t even cook lunch for them as there is no water,” she says.
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Another mother, Tumi Galela, says her baby went to bed in tears as she was unable to make formula for him.
“Both my baby and I went to bed hungry last night as I could not cook for myself or make formula for him,” she says.
The metro released a statement yesterday saying the outage was caused by a burst pipe which supplies water to Tsakane and Langaville.
City spokesperson Themba Gadebe says they hope to have the water restored by this evening.
“The water was cut yesterday after the pipe burst.
“We are still working on the pipe and hope the water will be restored by tonight,” he says.
