The community from Zikhuba village in Mbizana in the Eastern Cape is feeling the pinch of having to buy water from bakkie owners who sell it for profit. More than 12 000 households in this area are isolated from water services. They say they have never seen a single water project brought to this area to alleviate their plight.
They feel their right to have access to clean water has been violated since the dawn of democracy. Others are now seeing this as a business opportunity and are selling water to the villagers.
Water traders are crisscrossing the villages carting water at a cost. Community leader Portia Shusha says access to water has been a struggle for decades in the area. Clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. For the community, it’s still a dream of over a century now. In 1994 they were promised clean water but 27 years down the line, people have no access to clean water.
“It’s has been 27 years now since 1994, no water, when you want water we drink this dirty water with the cows so we do not have water all in all, we need water. Also the vans you see here we buy water from them, we spend almost R300 per tank,” says Shusha.
No access to basic water
A villager Justice Ngejane says constant unfulfilled promises of clean water supply is really upsetting villagers.
“It’s even worse when someone passes away, we have to hunt for water streams in the open veld so that we can get water for funeral preparations. There is no water here – when we approached the municipality, the mayor would just tell us about COVID-19 regulations. It’s pathetic and a shame of the leadership. Councilors come and go without providing us with water and proper roads, I mean since 1994 we never had water here,” says Ngejane.
For some people, business is booming as they are selling water to waterless households. Nkosiphendule Mazeka has been selling water for more than ten years.
“Well, it’s painful but for us, it is business because people need water. When it comes to pricing it differs because we do not have a standard price, so a 1000 litre tank goes for R250, while other people sell it for R300. Some people do not have the means to buy water because there is no water in the villages. We go around the open field harvesting water. There are also people who are specializing in harvesting water streams and we pay R50 to the locals for a 1000 litre tank and sell it for R250,” says Mazeka.
Operational water schemes
The Alfred Nzo District Municipality says there are two operational water schemes at Plangweni and Marina. Deputy Mayor Pulelo Mohale says they are also making plans to partner with KwaZulu-Natal’s Ugu District Municipality to supply water to the bordering province.
“The reality is that in Ward 23 there is a scheme there which is operational as we speak that is known as Marina water project scheme and there is also Plangweni water supply scheme which is also operational. We have set aside monies to deal with water refurbishment schemes because some of the villages were already there but were vandalized by the community due to the issues of illegal water connection in Ward 23,” says Mohale.
The community wants government to provide people with clean water. They have refuted claims that there are operational water schemes at Marina and Plangweni villages.
