Grannies battle water shortage in Kariega
Toilets are dirty and washing piles up after a month without running water
Siphokazi Hoyi says she has to hoard water from the water truck in her kitchen because the taps have been dry for a month. Photos: Thamsanqa Mbovane
Thousands of RDP houses and an informal settlement with over 300 shacks in Kariega have been without tap water for a month now.
Grandmother Siphokazi Hoyi was fetching water from a truck in Nomakhwezana Street in Chris Hani village, KwaNobuhle, when GroundUp visited.
Hoyi said she has to hoard water in her RDP house as if she were planning to sell it.
“My husband died a few years ago and I stay with six children. I keep buckets of water like a stock, because we don’t know when the truck will come again. My house is stinking, because of the dirty toilet and washing that is piling up. There is no water to flush the toilet and wash clothes.”
“We don’t know what the problem is, causing a water scarcity for four weeks. Everyone is complaining,” she said.
Dirty washing piling up in the room Siphokazi Hoyi has added to her house.
Resident Nomakula Gcukumane, who has eight grandchildren aged between three and 21, says there is no water to flush the toilet and her grandchildren are afraid of going to the bush to relieve themselves.
“We struggle to go to the toilet, dishes are stinking, and we haven’t bathed on a daily basis for a month now. They just clean their faces when going to school.”
“Water, as a basic need … We should get it,” she said.
Residents queue for water in KwaNobuhle.
At the site where the truck was stationed, residents were arguing about postions in the queue.
“We just sit in the truck and let them draw water by themselves, because they want to beat us up when we control the hose,” said the truck driver, who did not want to be named. “They know who came first,” he said.
Resident Sizwe Makaka said Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality should send a 20,000-litre truck with five hose pipes instead of a 5,000-litre truck, with one hose.
“This is the second time the truck has arrived in four weeks. We have kids and parents who all depend on water but are now panicking.”
Resident Hector Peter said a meeting at 5pm on Wednesday an official from Infrastructure and Engineering directorate told them there was an ongoing pressure problem with Molly Blackburn reservoir.
“We have been promised three trucks would be sent to deliver water and we are still waiting,” he said on Thursday.
Municipality spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya acknowledged GroundUp’s questions and promised a response. No answers had been received at the time of publication.
Sizwe Makaka says the municipality should at least send a bigger water truck.
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