Residents from the King Cetshwayo District in northern KwaZulu-Natal, which has been battling water shortages, have welcomed the delivery of water tankers. The tankers are worth about R60 million.
Residents say they have to walk long distances to fetch water from the nearest river or they find themselves waiting for the rain to collect water in buckets. “We don’t have water in this area and we wake up early in the morning to get water. If there are no rains, we can’t cook or bath,” says one of the residents.
Slindile Ngxongo says the community embarked on several protests to make the government hear their pleas. “We had to fight to get these water tanks and there is no water at all in this area. It is easy to stay weeks without water in this area.”
Provincial government working to resolve the issue
It is hoped that the forty water tankers will make an immediate impact. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says this is the first step to addressing challenges around water delivery in the area. The move will also put a stop to outsourcing the delivery of water to private companies.
“We want to make sure that there is no community that lives without water, so we provide these trucks as a solution across the district. These trucks will be allocated to different districts.”
The driver of one of the water tankers, Muntu Mbambo, says the initiative has also created much-needed job opportunities for them. “I am happy as I will be able to support my eight children and other extended family members. This is the beginning of our future and we will work hard to fulfill the dreams of the community by supplying them with water.”
