The government supply of water to many residents of Komga dried up 15 years ago.
This is according to residents of Komga, who disputed claims that municipal water disappeared only three years ago amid talk and deals around Jojo tanks, tankers and water supply works.
All talk of budgets and plans from officials had resulted in one lonely tanker doing the rounds in the area, said residents.
KwaStox resident Thulani Makhoba said they had been without water since 2018, but Mzomhle extension resident Mzimasi Mdubini said his area had been without water for at least 15 years.
Makhoba said currently one water tanker from Amathole district municipality randomly delivered 5,000 litres a month which was meant to service KwaStox and five surrounding villages.
He said the water tanker arrived on Sunday to fill up Jojo tanks recently installed by ADM, but on Tuesday the water was already finished.
“Out township alone is too big for 5,000 litres of water and we have villages around us. Residents have to go around asking for water from those who have tanks in the yards,” said Makhoba.
“If you are lucky you can get five litres. Otherwise, all the dams around us are too dirty — we cannot consume that water.”
When contacted for comment, ward 7 councillor Zola Tshali redirected DispatchLIVE to ADM saying water supply in the Great Kei municipality was ADM’s responsibility.
A detailed inquiry was sent to ADM spokesperson Noni Vuso but by print deadline on Tuesday, no response was provided.
Makhoba said during late 2018 he and other residents went to ADM to complain and former acting mayor Zibuthe Mnqwazi came from East London to address them.
He said Mnqwazi spoke of R25m being budgeted to renovate the supply system which transports water from the Kei river, which Mnqwazi cited as one of the issues hampering ADM from constantly delivering water to residents.
“Mnqwazi said there’s R25m (available) to change that system because it was old and it was giving them problems. He said it was rotten, that’s why we didn’t have water. He said in 2019 construction work would begin, but until now nothing has happened and we don’t know where that money is.
“They only brought Jojo tanks, which were supposed to be filled up by trucks regularly, but that has also fallen through because there’s only one truck now that is filling up those tanks. Now we hear that ADM is broke and we don’t know what is going to happen now to that promise,” said Makhoba.
He said two boreholes were installed last year but they were too far away for them to access.
Mdubini said: “I hear people talking about not having water for three years but that’s not factual. It has been 15 years we have been drinking dirty water because these water tankers are new and a month can pass without us getting any water tankers in our area.”
Mdubini, who is a farmworker, said his employers had resorted to supplying them with water for their cattle and plantations.
An ANC activist in the Siviwe community, Andile Mngeni, said he had received complaints about water outages as far back as 2017.
“The municipality has been telling me they have issues with electricity and sometimes it’s because of burst pipes,” said Mngeni. “Life is difficult for us, for instance now schools are open and at Chumani High there is no water, and the people there were calling me to try to get a water tank to the school.”
Mngeni said he was told by ADM employees that there was enough water supply, but getting it to the people was a struggle.
“Each month the municipality sends two tankers for the whole of Great Kei, which is a big area, and not everyone is able to get water.”
DispatchLIVE
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