Irate residents protest over water crisis
SCORES of angered uMhlabuyalingana residents in northern Zululand blockaded the P444 from Wednesday to Friday to protest a lack of water for more than a year.
The residents, from Mtiwe, Malobeni and Ntshongwe areas, gathered near Matiwe reserve where they dug a trench and placed logs across the road to prevent traffic from passing.
One of the protesters, Sibusiso Gumede said former uMkhanyakude district mayor Cllr Solomon Mkhombo was aware of the water challenges.
'He came to install a borehole but the project was not completed,' said Gumede. 'The borehole is there, but not working. ‘We have tried all avenues, but our efforts have been in vain.'
He said despite the local Jozini dam overflowing, nearby communities still had no access to clean water.
'uMkhanyakude district is even failing to provide us with water tankers, so we survive by getting water from the streams,' he continued. 'We have to fight with animals to get water.'
Gumede said they would not stop protesting until the new mayor Cllr Tim Moodley attends to the crisis.
Another disgruntled resident, Zwi Nxumalo, said residents who could afford to, were hiring bakkies at R500 a week to fetch water from neighbouring villages.
'Most residents depend on social grants to make ends meet for their families,' said Nxumalo. 'We need water now; it is our constitutional right.'
Commenting on the situation, Mayor Tim Moodley promised to send municipal officials to get a full report.
'Water is life and we cannot have a situation where people must demonstrate for such basic services,' he said. 'Once I receive a report, I will work towards solving the problem without wasting time.'
* Open your PixzAR app and scan the framed image to watch the protest action