‘We’re Still Waiting!’ Komani Villages Plead for Water Trucks

Komani Villages Still Without Water as Municipality Relies on Gift of the Givers

Residents in several Komani and Whittlesea-area villages are facing yet another week without water — and growing frustration with municipal inaction. Despite months of promises, the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) is still not sending its own water trucks to affected areas, relying instead on the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers to provide emergency deliveries.

Residents Wait with Buckets — But No Trucks Arrive

A resident shared images with Komani News showing community members standing along a dusty roadside, waiting for hours with their buckets in hand.
“These are pictures of residents waiting for the water truck,” she explained. “On Wednesday, some of them went to the municipal office and were told that the engines are still unrepaired — they’re still looking for a mechanic to fix it.”

The situation has left many families across villages such as Who Can Tell, Merino Walk, Hansome, McBride, and even nearby Tylden, without any reliable water source. For months, people have depended on the Gift of the Givers’ weekly deliveries, which are now the only consistent lifeline.

Councillor Confirms Municipality Is Not Delivering Water

Ward Councillor M. Nonyongo told Komani News that the municipality itself has not been sending water trucks, confirming that “they rely entirely on Gift of the Givers.”

The councillor explained that multiple villages are affected for different reasons.

• In Who Can Tell Village, the motor was damaged by weather.

• In McBride Village, the engines were vandalised.

• In Ensam, a broken pipe stand has left the area without pumping capacity for weeks.

All incidents have reportedly been logged with SAPS and CHDM, yet residents say they’ve seen “no visible repair work” since July.

A Crisis of Service Delivery and Health

The ongoing water crisis has become a public health emergency. With no clean water available, many residents have turned to rivers and springs shared with livestock.
Local health professionals have warned that untreated water poses risks of cholera, diarrhoea, and other waterborne diseases, particularly among children and the elderly.

Schools, clinics, and small businesses are struggling to function. “Daily life has stopped,” said one resident. “You can’t cook, clean, or even wash properly. It’s been months like this.”

Gift of the Givers — The Only Source of Relief

The Gift of the Givers Foundation has been the only reliable source of clean water in the region.
“They deliver water once a week,” Councillor Nonyongo confirmed. “Without them, people would have nothing at all.”

However, the relief trucks can only supply limited quantities — not nearly enough for hundreds of households. Residents often queue for hours, and some are forced to ration what little water they receive. Others have resorted to collecting unsafe water from streams.

Municipal Repairs Delayed — Again

According to Nonyongo, progress depends entirely on the Chris Hani District Municipality’s procurement process, which continues to face delays.
“We were told that procurement is under way,” he said, “but we haven’t seen any timelines or updates.”

The councillor added that vandalism, ageing infrastructure, and slow response times have worsened the situation. “Until the engines are repaired or replaced, there will be no change,” he warned.

Communities Losing Hope

Residents from across Ward 20 say they feel abandoned by local government. The crisis, which began in mid-2025, has dragged on for nearly four months with no end in sight.
In Tylden and surrounding villages, similar complaints have surfaced — suggesting that the water shortages are now spreading beyond Komani’s outskirts.

Community members are calling for urgent intervention from both CHDM and the Department of Water and Sanitation, arguing that temporary truck deliveries are not a sustainable solution.

“We are tired of waiting,” said one resident. “They keep saying the engines will be fixed, but nothing ever happens. People are suffering.”

A Worsening Pattern

This is not the first time Komani News has reported on the issue. Earlier articles, including “Komani Villages Face Three-Month Water Crisis Amid Municipal Silence” and “Residents Endure Three Months Without Water,” documented the same pattern — mechanical breakdowns, delayed repairs, and reliance on humanitarian aid.

Now, with the same problems persisting months later, residents say enough is enough. The situation reflects broader concerns about rural service delivery and accountability within the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality and Chris Hani District.

Until repairs are made and infrastructure restored, communities in Komani’s rural wards will continue living in uncertainty — waiting for water that never comes.