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Drops of water running from a tap.
Calls to place the embattled Msukaligwa Municipality in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, under administration are growing louder. Residents and business owners accuse the municipality of failing to provide basic services such as water.
The former commercial town has been without water for almost a month. Some businesses are on the brink of shutting down due to the water challenge.
It is day 25 without a drop of water. Most locals have been battling water challenges for the past three years.
“It’s a disaster, we have got a guest house. You can’t book a guest in and expect them not to shower or use the toilet. Next to me there is an accommodation that was contracted to Gert Sibande College. The 25 students they don’t have water; we have to buy water. We spend thousands and thousands of rands to buy water to keep the guests and students happy. It is just not us; it is the whole area. During the night there is water during the day there isn’t water,” says Ferdi Lengenager, a Guesthouse owner.
“We don’t get any services so definitely there is an issue with our municipality, and we need to put our heads together and find a solution. It is affecting everyone; we cannot continue in this fashion while we are paying for services, but we don’t get any delivery. It is not fair, we cannot continue like this,” says Lakesh Maharaj, IT company business owner.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) alleges that the water reservoir, which was meant to provide water to more than 50 000 households, has not been working for the past 10 years.
“We have channelled this problem basically to the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, and we got there so we have got nationally and provincially involved. Part of the sewer problem that is polluting the Vaal river but also they are aware of Ermelo because in the last year there was a problem that our dams were dry. We are asking national and provincial to come and sort out this problem but now it has come to a boiling point. Attention needs to be given to this now, Ermelo has a water problem,” says Jacob Scholtz, DA leader.
The municipality has acknowledged the problem and attributes it to a number of factors, including illegal water connections.
“We are aware of the challenges of water provision, especially in the high-lying areas. It’s mainly due to a pipe burst, and an airlock after we have fixed those pipes. So, as a municipality, we are currently installing hydrant heads as well as fitting next to our pump in Ermelo East, which will assist in boosting water to the areas that are mainly affected,” says Mandla Zwane from Msukaligwa Local Municipality.
According to Zwane, the water challenge will be resolved soon.
