Vukani Residents are still bitterly frustrated with the protracted water outage that they say has left their taps dry for almost three months.
Vukani Residents are still bitterly frustrated with the protracted water outage that they say has left their taps dry for almost three months.
"There is no water and we haven't had water for as long as I can remember," said Amanda Monose. "There usually is a truck that comes to supply us with water, but even that truck has been scarce for the past week or so and we are not happy.
"We have to now find alternative means of getting water. People with cars go to the spring with their 25-litre containers, but we have to go Fingo to beg people for water."
Ward 13 councillor, Mthuthuzeli Madinda, said the issue is a high priority.
"We are waiting for the responses and updates from the department of infrastructure and engineering services," he said.
Vukani resident, Nomfundo Caga, said, "Sometimes there's a truck that comes but even when it comes it does not cater for our street. We still have to run after it in order to get water".
This complaint was echoed by fellow resident Linda Sompani.
"We can't use the bathroom and can't do spring cleaning. It's festive season and school holidays. Children are back and it's chaotic. They want the bathroom, we need to wash them, their clothes, the blankets, curtains and a whole lot more. We have to look after ourselves, but we can't because there's no water."
Some residents have resorted to waking up at midnight to try and fill their buckets with water, before returning to sleep. "It is disturbing and it has been like this for sometime now," said Sompani. "Water comes to our taps at midnight when we are asleep. Fingo Village does have water, but Vukani doesn't. I don't know how that is possible."
Madinda explained the midnight water phenomenon saying, "What we have learnt is that the pipes are old and the community has grown now. Therefore the pipes do not have power to pump for areas that are situated on steep slopes or mountainsides. An area like Vukani falls victim to inaccessibility, unless it's midnight when there's no demand for water."
For now, on the hillsides of Vukani there still is no end in sight.
Residents in Extension 9 reported today that water in that area returned late on Thursday, after being out since early in the morning.
