Hammanskraal water woes persist despite partial improvements

It’s two steps forward and three steps backwards on the water supply issue in the City of Tshwane, with ongoing supply cuts, drinking water of questionable quality and delayed processes.

Hammanskraal Residents Forum chair Tumelo Koitheng said the water situation has improved on the east side of Hammanskraal, where water is drawn from the Klipdrift batch plant.

“But the areas supplied by the Temba water purification plant remain adversely affected. The water is still not fit for consumption,” he said.

“The City of Tshwane said that after phase four of the Klipdrift batch plant is completed, around June, the areas supplied by the Temba water purification plant will receive water fit for consumption,” he said.

Concerns about quality

In February, mayor Nasiphi Moya urged residents to refrain from drinking water until testing was completed following concerns about the quality of supplies through the new Klipdrift Magalies water package.

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“This situation contrasts with the laboratory-tested water quality recorded in January when supply was first restored to wards 49, 73, 74 and 75, specifically communities including Mandela Village, Marokolong, Ramotse, Kekana Gardens [Steve Bikoville] and Babelegi Industrial,” she said.

The Klipdrift package plant project was a short-term intervention while the city works on refurbishing the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works.

Moya said the Klipdrift package plant was being implemented in four phases and was expected to be completed mid-2025.

Hennops Revival founder Tarryn Johnston said the water situation was getting worse.

‘A festering cesspool’

“It’s not about parties, it’s a deep cultural wounding that will continue to be a septic, festering cesspool of death and decay as long as we weaponise, politicise and prioritise profits over health,” she said.

ALSO READ: Tshwane mayor confirms clean water supply for some Hammanskraal residents after 20 years

Johnston said the authorities don’t want the water issues resolved because there would be nothing to steal if the water was clean and naturally mineralised, instead of chlorinated.

“This game with water is older than all of us,” she added.

The blame game

WaterCAN’s Ferrial Adam said: “There were ups and downs. It is hard to say who is responsible, but the municipality didn’t do too well. The DA mayor did try to clean up. So, when ActionSA said some areas are functioning, it was because it started in the previous administration.

“Each political party claims they made progress and the next party messed it up but it’s a trajectory. After the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, there was much activity. At a national level, there was focus to get the water clean.

“The DA negotiated some change in terms of water package plants and then the mayors changed and we got ActionSA,” added Adam.

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