Kabokweni residents frustrated with water shortage

South Africa has been battling with an ever-increasing water shortage, and there are many factors that contribute to this. Climate change impacts water quality and availability through the changes in rainfall. Rain is infrequent, leading to a smaller supply of water and, sometimes, even to drought. South Africa has been experiencing a drought since 2015 and, therefore, a short supply of water.

KaBokweni has experienced an ongoing crisis and some residents feel like nothing is being done to help them combat the problem. One of the residents, Sebenzile Mashigo (58), said she has been living in KaBokweni for about 30 years and there has never been a problem with water, until recently.

Mashigo told Lowvelder that there was a water truck from the municipality that came to supply the community with water twice a week. Mashigo said she has to take water containers into the street so that the water truck can provide some for her. “This is a very strenuous task for me, because I have to carry water buckets at my old age.” She explained that she has to make sure she has enough water for the 20 people in her household.

Maletsatse Msithini, another KaBokweni resident, said the truck comes at an inappropriate time for her, as she has to go to work in the morning. “I have to make sure I collect water from the truck before I go to work, because I cannot do without it. It is a basic necessity for everyone.” Msithini added that by the time she gets to work, she is tired and cannot do her job properly.

Nhlanhla Hlabane, who has been living in KaBokweni for 20 years, said the water that is supplied by the municipality is not enough. “One has to install a JoJo tank in order to have an adequate amount for the whole week. That is R200 each week, which most of us can’t afford.” He told Lowvelder that sometimes children cannot go to school, as there is not enough water to wash their uniforms.

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Small-business owner Zanele Mashigo said the scarcity of this resource cripples her business, as she has to wash her equipment and prepare her goods with clean water. “I had to install a water tank so that I can have clean water to produce my goods in the cleanest possible way.”

KaBokweni Ward 33 councillor Kubi Manzini told Lowvelder that it is not the only township that has a water problem. “I submit a proposal with all the complaints from the community and the municipality investigates whether there is enough money to solve them. I am not the one who decides which township it chooses to help.”

Manzini told Lowvelder that there is a mentality that KaBokweni is better off than the other townships, so they assume that KaBokweni does not need any help and therefore is not a priority. “KaBokweni is a victim of its own success.”

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He told Lowvelder that there are residents who do not pay for municipal services, but he cannot blame them for that. “I have to be patient with them and make sure they understand that this is a
slow process.”

Manzini told Lowvelder that he has tried his best to supply KaBokweni residents with water. “We have tried installing boreholes at some areas, only to find out that there was no water underground.” He added that some areas are uphill and the water cannot reach them.

Manzini said the reason why residents do not get enough water is because most of the water goes to Themba Hospital. “We have to make sure that the patients have enough water. The ICU and the maternity ward need it. We also have some people who have taken water from Themba Hospital reservoir for their own use, and that is another big problem.”Manzini encouraged residents to help one another. “If you have water and your neighbour does not, it would not hurt to help them out with a bucket or two.”