Durban - Clean water is a luxury for Ndwedwe residents, a village, just outside Verulam on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast, who are forced to share storm water with livestock.
Hleziphi Mzobe, 21, from ward 13 in Makhawula, said residents were forced to use urine-contaminated water for the past eight years.
She said life was normal before the water to their homes was cut off. Officials at the time said they were unable to fix the ageing infrastructure and turned off the taps and it has remained that way ever since.
Mzobe said the rain this week was appreciated by locals as the streams began to fill, providing the life-saving resource.
“We are getting fresh water to drink which we collect from gutters at home. But the storm water will be used for washing clothes and blankets. Without the rains, there is no water to cook and bath,” said Mzobe.
She said during the drought and the long winter season, the stream dried up forcing the locals to walk long distances to fetch water from the Umdloti River.
Bathabile Zondo, who was seen carry a 25l bucket on her head when the Sunday Tribune team visited the area this week, said the water she collected was from a river infested with tadpoles, bullfrogs and green fungi. She said before drinking the water, she had to boil it first and disinfect it with bleach.
“Most babies have developed skin rashes. There have been a handful of cases of people suffering from bilharzia and cholera,” she said.
Nelisiwe Khuzwayo, another resident, said water was scarce and there were always people queueing up for water at the small stream. She said the unhygienic water was shared with dogs, donkeys, goats, cattle, pigs, mosquitoes and water beetles.
“It is a pain to drink water with a strong smell of animal urine when officials are enjoying thousands of litres of water in their homes while we are struggling to survive,” said Khuzwayo.
Zibonele Ngcobo, a community activist, said while others suffered from Covid-19 infections, people were also battling to find clean water to drink. He said amid strict Covid-19 regulations, those with bakkies were barred from collecting clean water from their relatives living in Verulam.
“Families have kept away from traditional weddings and rituals because they need water for such gatherings,” said Ngcobo.
According to the community members during previous meetings with Nkosinathi Vincent Chili, the Ndwedwe municipal mayor, promised to dispatch a water truck but it is alleged that the truck only comes once a month.
When driving around on the gravel road, there were a few empty yellow tanks erected from the ground which were to be used as a water storage facility for the community.
Chili accused the locals of failing to attend meetings to discuss development in the area. He said water reticulation was the responsibility of the Ilembe district municipality. He said officials from Ilembe had been in the area to explain challenges caused by ageing underground infrastructure.
“I agree with them, 100%, water is a big issue in the entire Ndwedwe area. I understand their plight as a mayor – ‘water is life’. But Ilembe has been saying the infrastructure has aged and the population has multiplied,” said the mayor.