WHILE spring has yielded abundant rains throughout most of KwaZulu-Natal, government-issued water restrictions are still in place as the crisis is certainly not over.
People are urged to use water sparingly and not water gardens or spray-clean driveways.
uMkhanyakude District residents were especially hard hit during the dry season, with large areas of the district going without running water for a month.
While water supply has been largely reinstated, maintenance issues continue to plague St Lucia residents, who spent three days without water last week owing to breaks in the pipeline. Bethesda Hospital reportedly went without water recently, affecting its Casualty Department.
Residents of KwaMthethwa in the Mfolozi Municipality are also still suffering.
KwaMthethwa’s water shortages, residents say, could be the result of ‘politically inspired sabotage’.
‘We [in Cinci Ward 11, KwaMthethwa] are faced with a very serious water crisis. After winning the elections, the new leadership introduced water trucks to supply the local community while the supply pipelines were still perfectly functional,’ concerned residents claimed.
As a result, residents say community members have resorted to drinking untreated dam water which they share with cows and goats.
They are questioning whether local councillors are financially tied to the water truck operators, claiming operations are monitored by a VIP protection unit.
‘How is it that R20 000 is spent to supply water every day, but they can’t fix whatever is broken in the mains supply?’
Response to the claims are still awaited from the uThungulu District Municipality.
