Muddy water has become the way of life for residents of Refengkgotso in Deneysville, Free State.

Their taps have been dry for the past month and there are no signs that they will get any clean water soon.

“I am forced to walk for about two hours to go and fetch water daily using my wheelbarrow,” said Jabu Dladla, 60.

“It is really not easy for people my age to do this daily but its not like one has any other choice but to take the long walks twice a day because we cannot live without water.”

He said residents had not been getting any clear communication from the Metsimaholo local municipality about the water crisis.

Dladla called on the authorities to treat their water challenges as a matter of urgency.

The Metsimaholo local municipality is led by the Democratic Alliance through a minority government.

Thembi Radebe said walking long distances to fetch water has become the new normal for her and other residents.

 

 

 

Radebe carries two 20-litre buckets with her child on her back while her other two children are at school.

She said it would be unfair for her to wait for her other children to return from school so they can fetch water.

“I don’t want to be seen to be torturing my children who, when they come back from school, still need to sit down and do their homework,” said Radebe.

“This water problem is not something new – it has been going for many years – but the recent problem of not having water at all has been going on for more than a month, and there has been no communication from the local municipality about what they are doing to fix the problem.”

Refengkgotso is about six kilometres from the Vaal Dam, which due to the recent summer rainfall was overflowing, prompting authorities to open a number of its sluice gates.

Businesses in the area have also been adversely affected by the water woes.