Desperate wait for water

In our last edition, Talk of the Town published an update on progress on several key infrastructure projects in Ndlambe.

If you missed it, you can read about sewerage and water infrastructure projects, planned or under way, here: https://bit.ly/NdlambeInfrastructure Update

The updates offer light at the end of the tunnel. But until then, things are really tough.

SIBULELE MTONGANA asked some Port Alfred residents in Nemato, Station Hill, Thornhill and the East Bank how long they have been without water, and how they cope.

Zintle Gumenge, Mabindisa Street, Nemato

It’s been very long. Since 2020. If the water comes back it is usually in the early hours of the morning… sometimes.

There are tanks the municipality put in the area, so we get water from there. If there is no water, we call the municipality.

The issue has been reported to the municipality multiple times but there’s no difference.

The situation frustrates a lot of us because we use water for everything. It’s slowing us down. We end up buying water because we don’t have water.

Lenisha Farao, Crescent Street, Station Hill

Normally when there’s no water it’s off for a day. When there’s no water I normally use the water in the tank.

We have reported the matter to the local municipality a few times but we haven’t got a single answer.

Zintle Sonjeke, Thornhill

It’s been a month now, if not more. It is always reported. Even on Facebook people post it almost every day. We have ward councillors,so we report to them. We always try to wake up early in the morning at about 5.30am because that’s when we get water from our taps.

We try our best to get as much water as we can. The taps are usually open for an hour, then they close them again.

And also, by the grace of God we get rain.

At this point I’m really out of words. I really don’t know what to say and it’s even harder for people who don’t have water tanks.

Even the public water tankers that go around the location are not helping that much because even with them they also come after every two days.

It’s bad, that’s all I can say…

Lavela Dingela, Muisvogel Road, Station Hill

Some residents of Station Hill have been fortunate enough this year. We’ve had running water every day this year so far.