Water pipeline damaged by protesters

THOUSANDS of East London residents living on the west of the city are facing a water crisis after a water pipeline was damaged by protesters.

It is alleged that residents of Needs Camp, who have been without water themselves, dug out and broke the pipe that feeds water to other villages.

Parts of Kayser’s Beach and villages at Ncera and Kuni that rely on water from the Needs Camp reservoir have been without water since Friday.

The protesting villagers from Ezigodweni, New Rest, Kalkeni and Boxwood yesterday vowed to continue preventing water from flowing through the pipes until they too received water.

The protest started last Thursday when the Old Mount Coke Road was barricaded.

According to Buffalo City Metro (BCM), protesters then started to vandalise parts of a 27km water pipeline. The pipeline, connected to a reservoir in Needs Camps, supplies water to taps in Needs Camp, Ncera and Kayser’s Beach.

BCM spokesman Keith Ngesi said on Monday one of the reservoirs was emptied when they opened valves and drained the newly built 10Ml facility.

“When we sent officials to attend to the problem, the villagers threatened them and chased them away,” he said.

The community was currently supplied with Jojo tanks and a project for a permanent supply was at the final stages.