Water issues nothing new for Mamelodi residents
The metro announced strict measures over the weekend among fears that Rand Water would struggle to supply it with water. However, residents of Ikageng in Mamelodi claim their taps have been dry for almost four years with no end in sight.
While Pretoria residents might soon be faced with the same water shortages that have gripped Johannesburg, residents of Mamelodi say dry taps have been their reality for years.
On Saturday, the Tshwane metro called on residents to immediately start using water sparingly following its urgent meeting with Rand Water.
According to mayor Cilliers Brink, the water utility warned the metro that its water supply capacity had dropped below 30%.
Brink called on residents to take drastic measures, including not watering gardens between 06:00 and 18:00 or cleaning vehicles, driveways and pavements with a hosepipe.
However, residents of Ikageng in Mamelodi told Record that they had experienced water supply problems for the past four years.
They blamed illegal water connections by land invaders to the Mamelodi reservoirs.
Resident Walter Mabaso claimed the situation forced residents to push wheelbarrows to fetch water on a daily basis.
“We are tired of pushing wheelbarrows all day to fetch water from water trucks,” he said.
“We are ratepayers, so we don’t deserve to walk such long distances for water. This while a nearby informal settlement has water, and they don’t pay for the service.”
He said senior citizens suffering from chronic diseases were even being forced to push wheelbarrows to fetch water.
“Our houses have lost value because the area has no water and only dry taps. Who would like to stay in or buy a house with dry taps?” he asked.
The residents said it all started in 2020 with low water pressure, but today their taps are permanently dry.
Since last year, the metro announced that it has approached the courts to begin the process of evicting illegal land invaders near the Mamelodi reservoir.
This follows continuous complaints of water shortages in Ikageng Extension 3 and Phase 4.
In Mamelodi West, Section B3 residents residing next to the mountain claimed lately they are experiencing dried-up taps and low water pressure in the morning, especially on weekends.
The residents claimed no one knows why their taps run dry, but other nearby street blocks do not experience water shortages or low water pressure in their houses.
Last year, residents in Mamelodi East protesting the ongoing water crisis prevented people from registering for the 2024 elections at Ikageng community hall.
They claimed the water problems in Ikageng Ext 3, Mahube Valley and Mamelodi East phases 3 and 4 started four years ago with low pressure to no water at all, affecting a few schools in the area.
The water trucks in Ikageng deliver water from 08:00 until 16:00.
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