Durban - Competition over scarce resources is bound to breed conflict and confrontation, says the Institute for Security Studies.
“In any situation, where there is scarcity of resources, there will be conflict … People will not want to go for too long without a basic commodity such as water,” says Dr Johan Burger of the ISS.
Burger was speaking after the death of Qiniso Mhlongo, 15, of Nongoma, Zululand, this past weekend after a dispute over water. Boys from a nearby ward had allegedly got into a fight with Qiniso and killed him, after a row had erupted over water.
His was the first violent death related to a conflict over water that had been recorded since the start of the crisis.
Police spokesman Jay Naicker confirmed the incident. He said two people, one 16 and the other 25, had been arrested and were expected to appear in court soon.
Burger said the water woes would add fuel to the fires already blazing over service failures in the country, as the violence of protests intensified.
“Over the years, there has been an increase year on year in protests. In 2004/5 there were 660 protests and in 2014/15 police statistics show that there has been an increase to 2 289, that is a 247% increase in protests,” said Burger.
He said politicians should deal effectively with water shortage problems in the run-up to the local government elections.
“They would not want to be faced with these crises that might cost them the local government elections.”
Isolezwe newspaper reported on Wednesday that Qiniso, from ward 11 in Nongoma, was attacked while trying to protect young girls, including his sister, who were being harassed by boys from ward 12. The girls had been accused by the boys of polluting the water.
People from ward 11 and ward 12 belong to different tribal authorities and have a strained relationship.
A conflict ensued between Qiniso and the other boys and they stoned him to death.
His mother rushed to his aid and she was apparently also attacked.
Nkosinathi Nzimande, a councillor in ward 11, said their situation was worsening with each day.
“All our three rivers have run dry. When we and other neighbours hire tractors to get water ourselves, those who do not have water demand it from me and I have no choice but to give them my water.
“Qiniso was attacked a distance away from his home because the river close to them has dried up,” he said.
Nzimande added that there had been instances in which people had tried to corner water tanker drivers.
“In one instance, people blocked the road with containers to force a water tanker driver who was delivering elsewhere to offload water to them.”
The Mercury
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