By Lufuno Masindi, Sihle Nyamanda and Luvuyo Mjekula
At the peak of the Makana water crisis nearly two months ago, one of the immediate measures Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams promised to put in place was stopping water leaks.
The MEC said at the time, to attend to water leaks, an engineer would be deployed to Makhanda. “I am deploying an engineer from Monday [this week]to come and support the municipality because there is too much water loss. As we speak there are water leaks not being attended to,” Williams said.
Two months later, there water flows everywhere in Makhanda, onto the streets and into residents’ homes.
Makhanda residents report and post pictures of water wastage on social media on a daily basis.
In Xolani Location, it took the Makana Municipality months to repair a leaking tap. One property owner in the area says water has been gushing out of his tap for nearly a month. Calls to the municipality have been met with unfufilled promises.
This week, the Makana Municipality published a notice of a planned water supply interruption to repair the burst pipe at the M Street and J Street intersection. Water had been gushing out of the pipe for weeks after workers in the Albert Street rehabilitation project accidentally broke the pipe.
The water wastage is said to contribute to persistent water outages in Makhanda, leaving residents without water for prolonged periods.
In the past week, residents of Makhanda West were without water for days and were left frustrated.
This is what some residents had to say:
“No water again! Cnr Somerset and Grey. Is there any other town in the country that has constant water problems like we do?”
“No water at Donkin Street… no apologies for gross incompetence.”
“The lack of communication is totally unacceptable, and I have raised it so many times, but it falls on deaf ears. The municipality’s objective is to address these concerns by providing residents with the cause of this interruption and solutions to resolve it,” said DA councillor Cary Clark.
The ongoing water problems have fundamentally impacted Brookshaw Old Age Home, leaving its elderly residents struggling to maintain good hygiene and basic necessities. In an interview, Estie Westcott, the manager of the home, expressed frustration and desperation due to the frequent and unforeseen water outages.
“It’s very frustrating for the elderly… These sorts of things should not be happening,” said Westcott. Better communication from the municipality is needed, and the residents are only notified after the water outages. The lack of transparency has led to mistrust among residents and staff, she said.
The home has become dependent on rainwater tanks and purchased water to ensure it is safe for consumption. Some residents have taken it upon themselves to assist the home with water and other basic necessities. However, in cases where they receive no assistance, they have to use their resources to maintain good hygiene and sanitation for the elderly.
Westcott highlighted the emotional and psychological toll that this puts on residents and the staff. “Residents literally go into depression because they are not able to do what they need to do.”
The manager has called for effective communication from the municipality, prioritized assistance for old age homes and schools, and sufficient measures, such as water delivery and storage solutions.
The municipality’s response to the crisis has been criticized, with the representative stating, “The municipality is not showing care towards the elderly… It feels like they don’t really care.”
Despite water restoration, Westcott emphasized that they lost trust in the municipality due to inconsistencies and poor communication.
The municipality eventually released a statement in response to the residents’ complaints, apologising for “the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen water supply interruptions that left many residents without water for days”.
The municipality attributed the water outage to challenges with the chemical pump at the Waaineck Water Treatment Works, which interfered with the water supply on the Western side of the town.
“We apologize for the inconvenience caused,” said the Makana Municipality Water Section.
“Fixing of the pump is taking place and will be completed today. Transfer from Bothas Hill is now taking place, and affected areas will gradually start receiving water during the course of the day.”
The municipality has pledged to continue working towards improving water supply and communication.
Residents were encouraged to report ongoing issues and provide feedback on the municipality’s response.
“We appreciate the municipality’s efforts to communicate and address our concerns. We hope this marks a new era of transparency and accountability,” Clark said.
