Still no hope for Hammanskraal

As the March deadline approaches for government to address the long-standing water crisis in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, residents remain sceptical as they have yet to witness any improvement in their water supply.

The department of water and sanitation and the City of Tshwane last year announced measures to resolve the pollution of water sources by the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works in Hammanskraal.

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In response to mounting pressure, government promised swift action to alleviate the suffering of the community.

However, as the deadline draws near, many residents feel disillusioned by the lack of progress on the ground.

Despite assurances from city officials that progress has been made, the lack of tangible change has left the community frustrated and concerned about their access to clean water.

A manager at the local City of Tshwane office, who did not want to be named, said while the deadline may not be met, there was progress already following talks with Magalies Water to assist in providing quality water and sanitation services to Hammanskraal.

He also said officials from the office of Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu have had ongoing meetings with stakeholders, including Magalies Water, as part of their efforts to resolve the crisis.

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“They are already busy. They’ve appointed a contractor that has to install a pipe. It has to be a reverse pipe that goes to the Magalies plant and reverse the water to come this side,” he added.

“But it is in progress. We did not appoint a contractor, Magalies did. The minister communicated solely with Magalies and they agreed because they do not draw their water from Rooiwal.”

However, these assurances have done little to appease the concerns of residents who continue to endure the consequences of unreliable water supply and contamination issues.

Temba resident Julia Mphake was frustrated with the slow pace of progress and called for immediate intervention to ensure that residents have access to clean and safe water.

Mphake invited The Citizen into her home and revealed that the water had not been clean since the announcement was made, and still had a strong stench to it.

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“This water is not even good after boiling. It ruins and stains plates, buckets, bath tubs, toilets and that alone should tell you how bad it is,” she said.

She said the community was expecting to see a little bit of change, maybe the pipes tested or even received communication from the minister to say, “we are still hard at work and people should be patient because the deadline is fast approaching”.

“It’s so sad because we were told water tanks would come to give us water in order to fill bottles and buckets, but we have not received anything and have had to buy water from a nearby shop,” she said.

Another resident in Portion 9, Tiisetso Matjila, said people with water tanks were selling water to local shops and then the water was sold to residents.

“We have not had water for the past two years. We have never seen anything from the city or the minister except the [person] they said would build and [since then] we have never seen anything,” he added.

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He said residents at Portion 9 often crossed the street to the next section to get water from a stream.

“We can’t even use water from their taps because we know it’s not clean”.

As March approaches, many eyes are on government to deliver on its promises and provide the necessary resources and support to resolve the Hammanskraal water crisis once and for all.

Residents say their fate hangs in the balance, underscoring the importance of swift and effective action to ensure access to clean and safe water as a basic human right