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Running water from a tap.
The Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape has been struggling to overcome water challenges for more than 10 years.
Despite numerous interventions from national and provincial government to find lasting solutions, the residents are still subjected to water cuts.
The Special Investigating Unit is currently investigating the municipality, including water-related tenders.
These residents say they feel neglected, “We have got patients here who are elderly people who need to take medication here and because sometimes there is no water, they are unable to take them. This is a risk to their lives.”
“When there is no water, we have no other option but to wait until there is water, they do not even send water tanks here. They only care about Makhanda and they forget about us, we cannot live without water.”
The municipality has cited aging infrastructure as the main cause of the water issues.
Makana municipality water and sanitation manager, Chris Qwane, says they are working on resolving the issue.
“We did experience on the 23rd of August, we have a backlog of paying overtime for water and sanitation team. And as a result, they decided not to work overtime. We are still paying them salaries but the only thing that we are unable at the minute is to pay them overtime, although the municipality is working on it to try and resolve it.”
