Residents of Alexandra who were affected by water shortages in some parts of the township carried buckets of water to Marlboro on Wednesday to plead with homeowners from the community to assist them with water.
One of the homeowners from Marlboro Gardens, Shoquat Suliman, provided borehole water to fellow community members because he felt that it was the right thing to do.
“These are our neighbours and it does not sit well with me seeing that they are in need of a simple thing as water,” Suliman said.
He said many homeowners from his area allowed the community from Setswetla, Extension 7 and 8 to get water from them.
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“We work in these communities from time to time, so why not now?”
Suliman said he consulted with Ward 109 councillor, Werner Smit, to supply water tankers to residents because, although they live close to Marlboro Gardens, carrying water buckets full of water would cause a strain to their bodies.
“The councillor assured me that water tankers would be set up in parts of the area.”
Extension 8 resident, Happy Lebogang, said the water shortage caused an inconvenience to her because she runs a day care centre from her home.
“The situation is bad because the children cannot use the toilets and drink water. This is really an inconvenience,” Lebogang said.
She said not having electricity was better than having no water because people needed water to survive.
“We have infants who need formula milk that needs water to prepare, now we cannot feed them.”
She said the current hot weather required children to drink a lot of water in order to stay hydrated.
Read: #WaterOutage: Residents are expected to have water running by tomorrow
Local councillors are frustrated by this issue, saying the City of Johannesburg was not doing right to locals.
“I do not understand why water tanks can be supplied to suburbs like Sandton, but not to the people of Alex,” Ward 105 councillor, Tefo Raphadu, said.
“Joburg Water has failed to provide water tanks for people, although they might be fixing a pipe, that is not the issue. They should have come up with an alternative solution so that the people can live comfortable lives.”
Raphadu said that hygiene and health of the people were a concern.
“Some of these people cannot take proper baths or been able to cook since the water crisis started.”
Ward 116 councillor, Adolph Marema, said that 80 per cent of his ward does not have water and this was sad.
“We were informed that Joburg Water was coming through to provide residents with water tanks, but it has been too long already,” Marema said.
He said that there were about 12 water tanks in his ward already, but were empty and needed to be filled up.
Marema said the City has prioritised neighbouring suburbs over the people of Alex.
“I am not sure whether this is because people in the suburbs pay rates and we do not, but nonetheless, everyone needs water.”
He said that although the City was doing good work for the people, the issue of prioritising was not well received.
Joburg Water spokesperson Eleanor Mavimbela, explained that water tanks were placed in various areas around Alex.
