Businesses, homes affected as taps run dry in parts of Mthatha

Food retailers, car businesses and households on the north side of Mthatha continue to battle crippling water shortages. The affected areas include Hillcrest, Ncambedlana and Northcrest.

Residents have been without water since Friday and the situation is taking a heavy toll.

Northcrest Spar manager Sean Raleigh said they were unable to cook meals for their deli. They had to use bottled water to keep the store clean. We can t do anything without

’ water. Most of our equipment needs water for steaming and cooking. This has a direct cost to the business and we need to keep the store running.”

Asked whether they had been informed about the water problems by the authorities, Raleigh said only a WhatsApp message had circulated, indicating that some pumps had been damaged and had been taken to East London for repairs. What makes matters worse is that the water crisis comes amid Covid19, when people need to wash their hands regularly.

This whole thing has a huge “financial cost to the business.”

Raleigh said they had about six backup water tanks that normally provide clean water for the shopping complex in times of water outages.

OR Tambo district municipality normally sends trucks to fill them but this had not happened for a long time, he said.

Mzonke Mhlahlo, a staff member at the Haval Mthatha car dealership, in the same shopping complex as Northcrest Spar, complained of an unbearable stench coming from the public toilets directly behind their business.

Their offices were now full of flies, he said.

“It s a painful situation because

’ our customers are running away now, which affects business.

Hillcrest Township resident Jean Hawkes also said their toilets were clogged, with flies swarming around their homes.

Elderly residents who suffer from chronic illnesses are unable to take their medication without water.

Hawkes said when she called the municipality on Tuesday, she was told trucks had been sent to provide them with water.

She was told that apart from the damaged pumps ”, a workers

“strike over salaries could be

’ behind the problem.

Why must we as citizens “suffer? We are not saying they must not go on strike, but don t

’ switch off our water. Rather they must take their issues to management,” she said.

Hawkes said they had noticed that affluent residential suburbs such as Southernwood and Southridge, located on the other side of the city, had not been affected by the shortages.

Questions were sent to OR Tambo district spokesperson Zimkhita Macingwane about the water problems. She had not responded by print deadline.