Kasi life hard as Nomzamo and Khayelitsha battle dry taps

Khayelitsha and Nomzamo residents collecting water from Edlelweni Primary School.

Taps have been dry for more than three weeks in parts of Nomzano, Khayelitsha, Railway and Unfound in Mlungisi Township, Komani.

This has left residents complaining that Chris Hani District Municipality is closing the water deliberately after it issued them with letters showing their allegedly inflated debts.

In Nomzamo, some residents claim their water problems started after the new houses were built.

In some parts of Khayelitsha, water comes out in the morning as those residents who are lucky to hear the water coming have to wake up as early as 5am to fill buckets.

In some areas of Khayelitsha, water skips days and returns at a lower level.

Resident’s of these areas have to wake up early in the morning and join the long queue next to Edlelweni Public Primary School and go around the township looking for any taps that might have water in the informal settlements.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

Everyday, scores of people young and old pushing their wheelbarrows with buckets move up and down the township looking for a tap that has water.

Nomzamo resident Zanele Mhlalisi said she arrived at Edlelweni taps at early to try and get water to cook and wash.

We have been doing this for years

“We have been doing this for years since the new houses were built. There is a section in Nomzamo that has been struggling with water for years and we don’t know what is causing that,” she said.

Mhlalisi said every morningband afternoon they have to queue for water as they have to cook and prepare kids for school.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

“When there is no water at night we are forced to go to the veld and relieve ourselves,” she said.

She said this is happening despite the municipality issuing them with huge amounts they owe to Chris Hani District Municipality for water.

We have gone back to the villages

Another resident, Sandisiwe Molefe said we have gone back to the villages where we were forced to get water from the river.

“The only difference here is that we get our water from the borehole that was built by Gift of the Givers,” she said.

She said she had to go around checking taps all three taps in Nomzamo informal settlement on Wednesday morning.

When it’s your turn to get the water it stops coming out

“There were long queues and there was no water. You can stand in a queue for more than two hours and when it’s your turn to get the water it stops coming out of the tap,” she said.

Molefe said the water problem could be caused by the municipality forcing them to pay their debts.

Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson Thobeka Mqamelo said the Mlungisi pipeline had low pressure due to airlock caused by the pumping main valve that failed.

“This is receiving attention and processes to have it fixed are in progress,” she said.