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Butterworth residents decry water shortage

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Butterworth residents in the Eastern Cape threaten to boycott the upcoming local government elections due to lack of water in the area.

The drought-stricken area is fast approaching day zero as their dam levels are below 10%.

Amathole district municipality says water tanks and drilling of boreholes cannot meet the demand. It says most dams in the district have less than 50 % of water.

The district spokesperson, Nonceba Madikizela-Vuso, says the municipality is in the process of finding long-term solution for this crisis.

“The department of water and sanitation has also agreed to raise the wall of the Gcuwa so that the amount of water that it is able to receive is much bigger. We do also have a Tsomo line for this area of Butterworth, which costs over  R700 000.”

However, residents say they’ve had enough.

“When the water comes we put in our buckets, the big ones. But  now these buckets are empty, we have got no water I think it’s been three weeks now, ” says one distraught resident.

“We are not going to vote because the government is not favoring us because we are suffering but when they want us to vote they come to our houses they say we must vote for ANC we are so angry,” adds another resident.

In the video below, Butterworth water challenges under the spotlight:

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