Residents of Zastron in the Free State continue to be on the receiving end of severe water shortages in the area and have been without water for three weeks.
Residents say water shortage in the area is a serious challenge and are accusing the municipality of not prioritising them.
They say there are some sections that have been without water for more than ten years.
Rolling blackouts are also exacerbating the situation.
Schooling interruptions
Samuel Johnson Secondary School Principal, Makhosazana Sebehela, says the lack of water and electricity at the school is disrupting their winter classes plans.
“It’s a serious challenge because now our first initial programme was to incubate the learners. We are unable to incubate them now that we don’t have water. We have a serious challenge with the restrooms they are struggling to use them because we don’t have water.”
Matric learners at the school also complained that they cannot keep up with school work as they are forced to fetch water from another section of the area in the morning.
“The water situation comes as a setback to me because like we aren’t able to focus on our education because of before going to school. We can’t wash properly in the morning,” says one learner.
Another learner says: “2 There’s a lot that is going on. I have to wake up early before five o’clock so that I can go check where I can get water before coming to school and I have to be at school by eight o’clock.”
Residents say the lack of running water in the taps makes it difficult for them to do house chores.
“The situation is bad. We have to walk from far to fetch water. It would be better if every street can have water tanks, or they provide us with water once a week.”
In the video below, Zastron residents can be heard complaining about water shortages:
Mechanical issues
Mohokare Municipality Mayor, Zingisa Mgawuli, says they are having a mechanical problem on the main supply dam.
Mgawuli says they are now using another dam as an interim supply of water.
“We are reviewing our plan each and every day and the following day we try to do better. We are using Kloof (dam) now as back up while we are still intervening on the issue of pumps.”
The municipality says it is working around the clock to improve the ailing infrastructure.
Mgawuli spoke to SABC News earlier to provide an update on interventions to restore water supply:
