Rural communities in the North West are unable to adhere to basic COVID-19 regulations because they don’t have access to water. Despite numerous appeals to government, many households remain without basic drinkable water.
Barseba Village just outside Rustenburg has had water shortages since 2018.
“This tank has been without water for three years. During this period of COVID-19, we have to go fetch water at the river. There are tanks there, they work properly but our does not even have a drop of water. We don’t know where to go. They say it’s democracy we should be free, but we are not,” residents told SABC News.
“It’s not nice at all. It’s very painful, especially during the festive season and this period of COVID-19. The President said we must wash our hands time and time again, but how do we do that when we do not have the water?”
Three years later, with a failed water project, the Rustenburg Local Municipality says it is working on a bulk water supply for the Barseba community.
Municipal spokesperson, David Magae, says an augmenting process is under way.
“The Rustenburg Municipality is aware of the water implementation project in Barseba Area which was commissioned two years ago. The municipality has begun processes of augmenting the bulk water supply. We anticipate to have finished a project which will see the residents receive 20 mega liters per day, by mid-2021. The augmentation of the bulk line to that area would have been completed.”
Barseba village faces water, shelter challenges:
