The water restrictions imposed by the municipality came into effect this week, but it seems that hardly any residents are aware of the new requirements.
The water restrictions imposed by the municipality came into effect this week, but it seems that hardly any residents are aware of the new requirements.
Nosiphokazi Magali from Hlalani said: "I just know that the water comes and goes but I don’t know anything about any water restrictions." Extension 9 resident Joyce Ndyolashe said she heard from her children that water could no longer be used for irrigation or washing cars.
Other residents say they know water is scarce so they have been using it sparingly. Out of the 10 Grocott’s Mail spoke to, they all said they had not heard anything about the water restrictions.
"We imposed water restrictions because water levels have dropped to lower than 40% in the dams we get our water from which are Jamieson, Milner, Howison’s Poort and Settlers Dams," said Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese. The restrictions came into effect on Monday and prescribes a R200 fine for offenders.
"We have put notices in the paper, on Radio Grahamstown, put up posters and we have posted it on our website as well," said Matebese. Application for special permission to water sport fields or to wash cars can be made to the municipality’s technical and infrastructural services directorate.
Registered businesses which rely heavily on water usage for their operations such as hair salons and car washes can apply for permission to use water on a daily basis from 7am to 9am and from 3pm to 5pm.
The first person who fell prey to the fine is Mbulelo Kitsili, owner of Liyakhanya Car Wash in Beaufort Street.
"A traffic officer came to my car wash on Monday, told my workers to stop using water and issued them with a fine," he explained, "But I went to the traffic department and I sorted the problem out with them."
He claims that out of all the businesses who use water in town his was the only business which the traffic officer fined. Kitsili said it was not clear during his subsequent meeting with traffic department’s senior superintendent Pierre Kapp that the officer had not received a memorandum from his superiors "on how the fine is suppose to be charged".
He added that his workers are using buckets as opposed to the hosepipes, which he alleges, are used by other car washers in town. "I told my workers to continue washing cars as long as they are use buckets," he said.
When asked whether he would be applying for special permission for his business he said that would happen only after all the businesses in town that rely on water usage are formally notified by the municipality. "My concern is that I’m being targeted by a specific traffic officer," he said.
Matebese says they will be talking more about the restrictions during their Tuesday morning slot on Radio Grahamstown. "We’ll be handing out flyers and tips on how to save water from door to door to make sure that everyone knows about these restrictions," he added.
"People need to take this seriously because every drop counts and let us work together, save water and pray to God for rain," he said while emphasising that the problems had nothing to do with the infrastructure and were due to the severe drought in the Eastern Cape.
