Taps no longer even turn to a trickle in Delmas, with the residents now turning to court over the water crisis.
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As South Africa’s water crisis escalates, fed-up residents of Delmas, a community on the outskirts of Pretoria, will turn to court next month after months of turning on their taps to find nothing.
An organisation, calling itself the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution, has filed an urgent application with the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, on behalf of these desperate residents. The application has been lodged against the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, and others.
It wants the court to declare that the water crisis in Delmas, Mpumalanga, is a national disaster and for Rand Water to redress the water crisis in this town.
They want water within 30 days, the community said, and added that the government and Rand Water had to subsequently report to the court on the steps taken to address the water crisis.
Businessman Mohammed Arbee issued an affidavit to the court on behalf of the residents of Botleng township in Delmas, who have been without water since November 11 last year.
The township has more than 50,000 residents, including many children. Court papers state that the water supply was terminated months ago, and this has especially severely impacted the schools, old-age home, and businesses in the area.
According to Arbee, several residents were taken to the hospital last week due to dehydration and associated illnesses due to the heat. “The elderly, the frail, pregnant women, and children are suffering medically due to the lack of water and proper ablution facilities,” Arbee said.
He added that local schools have reported a decline in attendance, as learners cannot go to school because they cannot bathe, or they are ill, or due to a lack of food as a result of the water shortages, resulting also in difficulties in preparing food without water.
Local businesses are also complaining that their businesses are coming to a halt due to the water crisis. Addressing the impact of the lack of water on education, Arbee stated that children must fetch water instead of going to school, and if they are at school, they face serious illnesses due to sanitation issues.
In pointing out the economic hardships, he said agriculture cannot function without water. A lack of water also worsens the impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease on livestock.
While the local municipality at first supplied water trucks, they now arrive infrequently, and residents must walk far to access them when they are there. Most families, who are already cash-strapped, have to resort to buying water, Arbee said.
He also referred to a recent incident when a Delmas man allegedly shot his neighbour following a dispute over access to water.
According to police, the incident occurred on Sunday, February 8, when the men allegedly became involved in an altercation after the deceased attempted to access the suspect’s section of the property to switch on a pressure pump to obtain water.
Police said the dispute unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing water shortages. A JoJo tank had been installed by the landlord in the garage to be used when the municipal water supply was unavailable, but the tank was located on the suspect’s side of the premises.
“It is alleged that the deceased attempted to enter the garage to switch on the pressure pump to obtain water, but the suspect refused him entry. The deceased then allegedly forced his way to the tap, at which point the suspect shot him at close range, striking him in the left eye,” the police said.
Residents in the area have, meanwhile, engaged in protests due to the dry taps affecting their daily lives. The crisis is said to be caused by deteriorating infrastructure, including leaking pipes and non-functioning systems. The Victor Khanye Local Municipality has been accused of poor governance, leading to the crisis.
zelda.venter@inl.co.za