Stampedes and false emergency service call-outs are some of the results of people's desperate attempts to get water as the cuts take their toll across Grahamstown.
Stampedes and false emergency service call-outs are some of the results of people's desperate attempts to get water as the cuts take their toll across Grahamstown.
On Wednesday 2 October Vukani township residents called the fire station reporting that a fire had broken out.
Two fire engines rushed to the area, only to be ambushed by scores of people with buckets who were yelling and screaming for water.
The trick didn't yield the intended results however, as the two drivers refused to give in to residents.
The engines powered off much to the dismay of the crowd.
Also in Vukani, a green JoJo tank the municipality allocated to the area was destroyed by angry residents.
Sinethemba Peter explained that the tank was stationed nearby his home around March this year. After months went by without the tank ever being filled with water, residents destroyed it last month
"At first strong winds often blew it away and we would put it back to its normal position," Peter said. "But people saw no use for it to be there because it was always empty."
A Joza woman who refused to tell Grocott's Mail her name claims that the municipality only sends Rhodes University updates on the water cuts and keeps township residents in the dark.
"Grahamstown is the home of Rhodes, not the other way around," she said, "and it's time for the municipality to realise that. We say no to double standards."
The Daniels Street woman said she had even squabbled with her ward councillor about this, "because it's almost like we're not as important as the [Rhodes] residents".
The last time she had running water in her taps was last week Thursday.
While the JoJo tank installed in her neighbourhood is filled with water, the woman says she only uses the communal tanks from the municipality for washing and bathing.
She fears some spiteful residents might pollute the water by putting dead animals or nappies in the tank. "One has to be careful because you never know with people, the tanks are not sealed."
In the meantime she has been asking friends and relatives with their own water tanks at home for drinking water.
Nolubabalo Sitemele of Goba Street said it's been over a week since they had water in their taps.
Sitemele said when a water truck came to her area it passed both water tanks and parked near CM Vellem Primary. "And people went there to fetch water with buckets creating a stampede", she said.
Municipal spokesperson Mncedisi Boma was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
