Residents Endure Three Months Without Water

KOMANI — Frustration and desperation are growing in Merino Walk Village, Ward 20 under the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, where residents have been without a consistent water supply for more than three months.

With taps running dry for weeks on end, many households have resorted to collecting water directly from nearby rivers — a move that raises serious health and sanitation concerns. The community says they have reached breaking point as promises from the municipality continue to go unfulfilled.

“We have no choice but to drink water from the river. It’s not clean, but what can we do? The water tanks only come once a week,” said a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Municipality Promised New Engine, But Delays Persist

According to residents, the municipality informed them that the water shortages were caused by a broken water pump engine. Officials reportedly assured the community that a new engine would be installed soon — but to date, no visible progress has been made.

Instead, water tankers are sent to the area once a week, which locals say is not enough to meet the needs of hundreds of households in Ward 20.

“When the tank comes, people rush with buckets and drums. Within an hour, the water is finished,” explained another community member. “After that, we wait another week — sometimes longer.”

Health Concerns Mount as Residents Turn to Unsafe Water Sources

Health officials have long warned of the dangers of consuming untreated water, especially from rivers that may contain bacteria or chemical contaminants. Residents fear the situation could soon lead to a public health crisis if urgent action is not taken.

The lack of running water has also impacted schools, small businesses, and local clinics in the area, further compounding the community’s challenges.

“We can’t live like this anymore. We need proper water — clean, safe, and reliable,” said one elderly resident.

Community Calls for Urgent Intervention

The residents of Ward 20 are now calling on the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality and the Chris Hani District Municipality to urgently intervene and restore water supply. They are also appealing to the Eastern Cape Department of Water and Sanitation to step in and provide technical assistance where needed.

As the #WaterCrisis in Ward 20 continues, residents say they feel forgotten and abandoned. They are demanding not just short-term relief through water tankers, but a permanent solution that restores their basic right to clean water.

Municipality Yet to Respond

As of publication, the Enoch Mgijima Municipality had not released an official statement regarding the ongoing outage or confirmed when the promised engine replacement will take place.

Residents say they hope the matter will soon draw attention from higher authorities before the situation escalates further.