For more than a decade, a typical day for many residents of Hammanskraal north of Pretoria has included a long journey in search of water, either to nearby churches that offer limited free supplies or, for those who can afford it, to shops to buy bottled water.
After years of raising concerns about the water crisis, residents say they have lost hope of ever receiving clean water from their taps.
The ongoing frustration has led some residents to threaten to boycott the next elections, while others say they will protest by spoiling their ballots.
In Kanana, an elderly pensioner, visibly frustrated, said she has spoken out so many times about the water issues to the point where she is now tired.
“Christmas is here, and we are still going to drink dirty water, same as last year. There’s no such thing as a merry Christmas here in Hammanskraal,” she said.
The 63-year-old said the dirty water has affected the health of many people.
“We are sick. At my old age, I go to fetch water. I get tired, we are living hard, but what can we do because we need pure water? They tell us not to drink this water, but they don’t supply us with good water. At my age of 63 years, I am still pushing a wheelbarrow.”
She said the government and municipality have promised to temporarily provide drinkable water but that has not happened.
“The situation here is bad, the water has a terrible smell, our health is affected and our skin is also affected.”
In 2023, the area was hit by a devastating cholera outbreak, which claimed the lives of more than 20 people and left hundreds hospitalised. Despite repeated promises from both the national and local governments to fix the problem, residents said they have not received a drop of clean, drinkable water from their taps.
Another resident in the same area, Simon Baloyi, said the community is living with false hope.
“We are living under the empty promises of the ANC. They only come here when they want votes. It’s more than a decade struggling with water; these people are thieves and good at empty promises,” he said.
He said they have to collect rainwater to survive.
“We live off rainwater, the taps are dry and even if there is water, it’s dirty. It smells like sewage. We are no longer voting for them. As we speak my wife is at Jubilee [hospital] because she experienced stomach cramps due to this water. She had stomach cramps and wasn’t getting better — she drank the water from the water tankers. What were those water tankers carrying before they started delivering water? Some of them look like septic tanks to drain toilets. How can we enjoy Christmas while drinking rainwater?” Baloyi said.
Josta Skhosana, a resident of Kanana, said he once suffered stomach cramps after drinking water supplied by tankers in Hammanskraal.
Like many fed up community members, he vowed that he will not participate in the next elections.
“I will never vote again, we are voting for thugs who are eating money, they don’t drink the same water we drink. I am no longer interested in politicians ... we are suffering,” Skhosana said.
Local resident and general secretary of Botho Barena Civil and Black Nationalist Rights Forum Baatseba Nchabeleng said Hammanskraal residents deserve to be compensated by the government.
“People are getting health issues due to this water problem. Hammanskraal people should be compensated — all of them, because their health has been greatly compromised,” she said.
Nchabeleng said they will be embarking on a campaign to teach the community “to take back their vote by spoiling the ballots”.
She said some residents are still forced to pay for the dirty water coming out of their taps.
“If they object to paying water, they can’t purchase electricity.”
She argues that the water tanker system does not solve the problem but only benefits corrupt individuals.
“It’s a money-making scheme. That is why we feel they won’t come with a sensible solution.”
Reisdents are also not confident that the water from the water tankers is clean, she said.
TimesLIVE
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