Angry protesters close Bergville road

Angry protesters closed the R616 Bergville road near Acton Homes today (January 12).

Residents in this area are demanding water, since their taps have been dry since last year November.

Ward 11 Councillor BA Coka, under Okhahlamba Local Municipality, said the water issue has been ongoing since last year and that uThukela had given various reasons.

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Coka says that, at first, they were told that a burst pipe was the cause of the water shortage. The pipe was fixed, but the problem persisted. Secondly, the mainline from the Bethani area was suspected to be the cause and it was checked as well. Thirdly, they were told that engineers from Estcourt needed to check and set the timing of the pump. However, none of this helped, as they remain without water to date.

“The community is angry! It has been months without water in this area and a lot of excuses have been given. This also puts a lot of pressure on us as ward councillors, because we are the ones expected to explain to the community why there is no water,” said Coka.

Motorists are advised to avoid the R616 when travelling between Ladysmith and Bergville.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Ladysmith Gazette, a sold newspaper distributed in the Ladysmith area.

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