CHDM officials will not connect water
Samaritan does plumbing for free, but families still battling
Agood Samaritan has been left frustrated after efforts to help two families in his neighbourhood to get connected to the municipal water supply were thwarted.
Mninawe Dubase said he had been begging Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) officials for months to arrange a simple connection, but was rudely dismissed and eventually ignored.
I bought everything they needed. I have installed all the plumbing for both houses. All they had to do was connect the houses to the system,” he said.
Dubase said he first noticed the families plight when he saw his neirghbour's children going into the veld. I asked where they were “going at that time of the morning.
They told me because they had no water at home, they had to go to the veld to relieve themselves,” he said.
Dubase, an artisan, then took it upon himself to help the families.
I was worried about the future of the children. We have coronavirus now, how are they going to be safe if they do not have sanitation?”
After buying all the necessary plumbing materials and doing the installations, Dubase said CHDM had not connected the families to the water supply.
At first I was told the TLB [truck used for the work] was not available.
When I persisted, they just stopped taking my calls, he said.
The two houses, according to the families who live there, were built in early 2000 by a private developer, but were never connected to water.
They were later amalgamated with the Nomzamo New houses RDP housing development.
Sindiswa Khaphetshu, who lives in one of the houses with her husband and two children, said the experience had been painful and dehumanising ”.
The whole thing is painful because we have been promised for years, Khaphetshu said.
We have to use the veld even at night which is — — dangerous. I have children.”
Thozamile Mkwelo, who lives in the other house, said they were also tired.
We saw all the other houses being built around us. They promised we would be plugged into the system with the rest of the houses. That never happened.
We often run out of water and have to ask our neighbours for some, because at times there is no water from the communal tap, he said.
CHDM spokesperson Thobeka Mqamelo had not responded to questions sent to her more than two weeks ago by the time of going to print."