Durban - Desperation for water has turned violent in Jozini. Community members rampaged, barricading roads with burning tyres and boulders and stoning motorists on Wednesday morning.
Ward 7 and Ward 2 residents have closed the main access roads connecting Jozini to the N2, demanding water.
At the heart of the protest are allegations that the Umkhanyakude District Municipality has failed to provide drinking water, delivered by water tankers, for more than two months.
Some community members had to travel 8km to draw water in the centre of Jozini.
The protest, which started in Ward 7 on Friday last week and spread to Ward 2 on Wednesday, prevented children going to school, and those working outside the town were unable to get to work. Roads to hospitals were blocked and ambulances were unable to ferry ill patients.
Delivery vehicles that needed to go through Jozini were stopped.
By Wednesday afternoon the protests had quietened down after three tankers had delivered water to Ward 7, and the tarred road was reopened. But the gravel road in Ward 2 remained closed.
Umkhanyakude district mayor Jeffrey Vilane said the district needed more water tankers.
The protest came as the province buckled under the strain of drought that had led to low dam levels, water restrictions and the destruction of rural livestock.
Umkhanyakude is one of the worst-affected areas.
Geh Phungula, a resident in the area, said: “It’s bad. The people blocked both roads in and out of the town and are demanding water to be delivered. Water tankers have not delivered for the past two months.
“The community is now forced to walk seven to eight kilometres to collect water in the taps in the town. People who have cars drive there. I am not sure what the other people did.”
Another resident, Jabu Nxumalo, said protesters prevented people from going to work.
Police said the protesters had dispersed and there were no reports of damage.
The Mercury