Durban — Residents from Osindisweni near Verulam took to the streets on Thursday to demand answers from the eThekwini municipality over the ongoing water crisis and inconsistent supply of tankers.
Residents from the eThekwini Municipality ward 59 Osindisweni said it has been more than three years since they last saw a drop of water coming from their taps.
The residents protested outside the Osindisweni Hospital to get heard. SAPS Public Order Policing were in attendance to ensure the protesters did not go into the hospital.
The protest was led by Induna Yesizwe samaQadi Osindisweni Marco Msomi who said people protested in the streets in order for their cries to be heard and sometimes they accidentally blocked the hospital’s entrance. As a result nurses ended up not being able to proceed with their work, and that badly affected hospital operations.
Msomi said community members gathered to protest because they have had enough of the incompetence of the municipality.
He said people who take chronic medication are badly affected by the water crisis.
“People come to me complaining that they are fed up because they have taps in their homes but have not seen a drop of water for the past three years. I have been trying to communicate the issue with eThekwini Municipality but nothing has been done. I believe residents have been patient long enough.”
A resident from Osindisweni, Vamisile Mbonambi, said they depend on water tankers to get even a little water.
“The water we get from the tankers is never enough and the drivers are inconsistent because sometimes they come once a month. We are forced to get water from the same streams that cattle drink from,” said Mbonambi.
She said the community had held countless meetings with the ward councillor and water truck drivers to find a solution.
“Sometimes we are forced to miss work because we are living in fear that we might miss the water truck, because if you miss it there is no guarantee when it might return.
“As the community, we are tired of the empty promises we get from the municipality and have run out of ideas on how we are going to resolve this.”
Another resident, Scelo Mdladla, said the year that the water was cut they were told it was going to be temporary.
“Ever since then we have been surviving on inconsistent water tankers, and the drivers always get lost and end up not supplying some areas because they are not familiar with this area.”
Mdladla said guards at the hospital used rubber bullets on them on Monday.
EThekwini municipality spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo said the City was expediting the upgrade to the Ogunjini Water Works.
“The water shortages affecting the area are caused by the facility’s inability to sufficiently manage the demand from this area.
“Ogunjini Water Works was built to primarily supply water to Osindisweni Hospital, however, over time there have been a significant number of homes reliant on the pump station.
“Once the upgrade is complete, the treatment works will have a design capacity of 1 Ml/d to 2 Ml/d. Currently, it has a design capacity of 0.9Ml/day.
“While the city finalises upgrading of Ogunjini, water tankers are being sent to the area. However, there are reports of community members sending some of the tankers away.
“We appeal to the community to allow water tankers to pass through unhindered so that they are able to service all areas of the affected community,” said Khuzwayo.
Public Order Policing members together with Verulam police were monitoring the protest action where community members blockaded different roads in Verulam with burning tyres, trees and stones, said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
No serious incidents had been reported to police.
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