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Water crisis continues to spread in Free State

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The struggle with water shortages, access to clean water and poor infrastructure is spreading throughout the Free State.

While the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality water crisis continues, residents in Winburg, in the Masilonyana Municipality, are drinking contaminated water.

They say it has caused tummy aches and diarrhoea among locals.

Community members say access to clean water has been a problem for many years.

They allege that the Masilonyana Municipality is not doing enough to resolve the issue.

The Municipality claims it has provided the community with water tankers, but have not been reaching Winburg.

It has promised to increase water supply to the affected areas, while looking for a way to resolve the problem.

Municipal Manager Pule Tsekedi, however, disputed claims that the greenish colour in the water is caused by sewage. He has attributed the problem to the dry dams.

“Now the unfortunate part is that when they are dry we find ourselves having to suck water from mainly sludge and you talk sludge you will obviously talk the of algae hence the water is greenish in colour. The water can only be utilised for other household’s purposes.  We are now utilising water tankers. We also will be relying on drought relief programmes for we have made a submission.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance in the province has laid criminal charges against the municipality over the polluted water.

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