Residents of Ntabamhlophe at Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, claim they have been without water for two months.
Last week, community members embarked on a three-day protest, blockading entrances and exits to the town. They say they previously had intermittent water outrages.
Frustrated resident, Siphesihle Gumbi says, “We have had no water for over two months. So, on Monday [July] 25th the mayor of uThukela District Municipality, and some of the officials came and promised us that the water will run without disruptions as from Wednesday, of which up to today there is still no water.”
“What we are asking from the municipality is that we understand that there is a problem with the infrastructure of water. But can we at least have a schedule for every ward? So that we can know [when] we will receive water,” explains Gumbi.
uThukela District Municipality Mayor, Inkosi Ntandoyenkosi Shabalala, says they have water shortages in three of their municipalities due to constant vandalism.
“As uThukela District, we have got three municipalities under us. We have Alfred Duma Municipality, Okhahlamba Local Municipality, as well as Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality. Amongst these three municipalities, we are doing all we can to provide water. We have serviced our infrastructure. Where there were bad pipes, we’re trying to sort those pipes. Where we do not have the infrastructure, we are supplying water [using roaming] water tankers,” adds Shabalala.
