Municipal water tanks huge relief for villagers

WATER woes for the community of Mmangweni village will be alleviated following a court agreement that will see O R Tambo district municipality deliver 10 5 000-litre water tanks to the village.

Yesterday, the municipality and the Mthatha High Court entered into a court-ordered agreement to deliver the tanks to the village of Mmangweni within 15 days and to refill each tank on a weekly basis.

This is in response to the first of a two-part court case brought by the Legal Resources Centre on behalf of the community.

Claire Martens of LRC said for years residents have for years walked long distances to draw dirty water from a place they call idami.

The agreement comes after a year-long struggle by Masiphathisane, a resident-led committee, for the urgent delivery of water to Mmangweni and, after attempts to engage with the municipality brought no results, the community, represented by the LRC, brought a high court application seeking safe drinking water.

The LRC argued that the municipality’s failure to provide water was unlawful and sought to vindicate the community’s right to access sufficient water and other rights that could not be fully realised without sufficient water, such as the right to education.

“Soon after the court papers were filed, the parties entered into negotiations and, by 14 June, the municipality had already delivered four tanks, three of which have been filled with water,” said Martens.

O R Tambo municipality spokesman Ayongezwa Lungisa said they were working on a sustainable solution for the tanks. —