- Large sections of Riebeeckstad have been without water for more than four weeks now (since before Christmas)
- Mmamahabane has been waterless for two weeks.
- Ventersburg’s water dried up on Wednesday morning
- Hennenman is consistently subjected to about 12 hours of water shedding every night.
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The water chaos in Matjhabeng is out of control and between the high levels of loadshedding, the long periods of water shedding, and weeks of no water at all, the residents of Riebeeckstad, Hennenman, Ventersburg and Mmamahabane have had enough.
Large sections of Riebeeckstad have been without water for more than four weeks now (since before Christmas), whereas Mmamahabane has been waterless for two weeks. Ventersburg’s water dried up on Wednesday morning and Hennenman is consistently subjected to about 12 hours of water shedding every night.
Maxie Badenhorst, DA councillor, says the residents are frustrated.
“They are under tremendous pressure. Many people work away from Hennenman and return home after a hard day’s work to loadshedding and water shedding.
“This means there is no water in houses from evening to morning, when they again leave to go to their place of work. People cannot bathe, cook or even do laundry.
“This is affecting people’s quality of life and their human right to access to water,” says Badenhorst.
Water shedding was introduced to Hennenman in an attempt to allow water through the system to reach the outlying Ventersburg and Mmamahabane.
Tshediso Tlali, Matjhabeng spokesperson, says loadshedding plays a major role in the water problems in Matjhabeng.
“Riebeeckstad, Hennenman, Ventersburg and Mmamahabane are in high lying areas. The reservoirs are under pressure to fill up. When there is loadshedding the pumps are switched off and reservoirs become depleted because water usage remains constant and is not affected by loadshedding,” says Tlali.
He says the executive mayor of Matjhabeng, Thanduxolo Khalipha, has undertaken to intervene and ask on a national level that areas where the reservoir pumps are situated be excluded from loadshedding.
“The mayor also wants to look at the problem in the long term. He is investigating the possibility that the Virginia Sedibeng Water Works supplies water to the rest of Matjhabeng as well,” says Tlali.
