Strike over water provision continues at a rehab centre

This morning social workers had to run in circles when they were attacked by unruly patients at the Swartfontein Rehab Centre outside White River.

“While we were in a meeting this morning trying to solve the problems at the centre, aggressive patients came to where we were, shoved officials and threatened them. As a result, we all ran away because we feared for our own lives,” says a social worker who called Mpumalanga News this morning.

Chaos at the centre started yesterday when about 30 youth admitted at the rehab centre, complained of having no clean drinking water at the centre. They alleged that the lack of water at the centre has been going on since November last year.

They also alleged that water coming from the pipes was dirty and contaminated. They said they were provided with untreated water coming from an old rusty pump station lying a few kilometers from the centre.

During the strike action, they burnt debris at the entrance of the centre and on the road passing next to the centre. An old archive store-room was also burnt during the process.
Mr Mxolisi Mahlalela, the head of department in the social development department addressed the patients on Wednesday informing them that the department was working around the clock to solve the problem.

“We have spoken with the service provider to check what the problem is. What angered the patients the most is that water was running yesterday evening, but when they woke up this morning, there was none. We are doing all our best to solve situation,” he said.