District Municipality Responds After Middelburg Water Protest

CHDM Engages Middelburg Protest Committee Over Water Supply Concerns

The Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) has confirmed that it engaged directly with representatives of the Middelburg protest committee on Wednesday following a shutdown that saw key routes blocked earlier in the day.

The engagement comes amid growing frustration from residents over ongoing water supply interruptions affecting several areas of the town.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, residents blocked sections of the N9 and N10 as part of a shutdown action linked to the prolonged water crisis, causing traffic disruptions and drawing the attention of district authorities.

Water outages at the centre of protest

According to CHDM, the primary issue raised during discussions with protest leaders was persistent water outages in parts of Middelburg, with residents demanding that the matter be escalated to the Executive Mayor for urgent intervention.

The district municipality acknowledged that it is experiencing water supply challenges in specific areas, including Lusaka, portions of Nonzame, and Midros.

These areas have reportedly been affected by intermittent or complete water outages, prompting residents to take protest action after what they describe as prolonged delays in resolving the problem.

CHDM stated that prior arrangements had already been made to deploy a technical team to Middelburg over the coming weekend to attend to water-related challenges.

The municipality has not provided specific details on the nature of the work to be undertaken but indicated that interventions are planned.

Community meeting scheduled

As part of the resolutions reached during Wednesday’s engagement, the district municipality confirmed that a community meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday next week.

The meeting is intended to allow for direct engagement between municipal leadership and residents, giving the community an opportunity to raise concerns and receive feedback on planned interventions.

In the interim, CHDM said that water carting is being used to supply affected areas while longer-term solutions are being implemented. Water tankers are currently providing relief to residents experiencing shortages.

Communication concerns raised

While confirming the engagement with protest leaders, the district municipality noted that it had not received any formal or official correspondence from the protesting group prior to the shutdown.

Despite this, CHDM reiterated that its lines of communication remain open and that residents are encouraged to use official channels to raise service delivery concerns.

“The district would like to reiterate that lines of communication with all residents remain open,” the municipality said in its statement.

Background to the shutdown

The shutdown follows days of mounting tension in Middelburg over unreliable water supply. Residents have previously raised concerns about the impact of water outages on households, businesses, and daily life, culminating in Wednesday’s road blockages and protest action.

Earlier reports from Komani News documented vehicles being used to barricade roads leading in and out of the town, with residents insisting that authorities urgently address the water crisis.