Lupapasi Residents Threaten Legal Action Over Two-Year Water Crisis

Residents of Lupapasi village in Ward 15, Emalahleni, have formally accused the Chris Hani District Municipality of failing to provide basic access to water, warning that the matter could soon be escalated to the South African Human Rights Commission and the courts.

In a letter addressed to the Municipal Manager and dated 20 May 2026, community representative Mr S Mbewu claims that residents in the Thembelihle area have allegedly been without municipal water since 12 October 2024.

According to the complaint, approximately 1,056 residents across 237 households have been affected by the ongoing outage.

The letter states that no communication or alternative water provision has allegedly been provided to the community since the last water supply nearly two years ago.

Residents further claim that an open excavation allegedly left unattended by the municipality earlier this year has become a danger to the community, with no visible progress being made on the site.

The complaint says vulnerable residents, including schoolchildren attending Thembelihle Primary School and Phakamani High School, elderly residents and people living with disabilities, are among those affected.

“We have verbally lodged complaints with our ward councillor through the ward committee member,” the letter states, adding that residents have also reportedly made walk-in complaints at municipal offices.

The residents argue that the municipality is failing to meet its constitutional obligations.

Citing Section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution and the Water Services Act, the community says every person has the right to access sufficient water and that municipalities are required to take reasonable measures to realise that right.

The community has now demanded that the municipality:

• Restore water supply or provide alternative potable water within seven days;
• Provide a written plan with timeframes for a permanent solution within 14 days; and
• Issue weekly updates to residents.

The letter warns that if no substantive response is received within 14 days, the matter will be referred to the South African Human Rights Commission and urgent legal relief may be sought in the High Court.

The complaint was signed by Mr S Mbewu “on behalf of the marginalized residents of Lupapasi”.

Komani News has sent questions to the Chris Hani District Municipality for comment regarding the allegations and the reported water outage. This article will be updated once a response is received.