Tongaat residents 'should have water by tomorrow'
A councillor in Tongaat says some areas have had their water restored, but supply remains restricted.
Some residents have gone weeks without running water after the floods damaged infrastructure.
Locals took to the streets on Wednesday morning for the second time this week
Councillor Dolly Munien addressed the angry crowd but was met with hostility and chased away.
"One hundred percent of the drinking water came from volunteers, what the councillor did for us?" one resident wanted to know.
Tongaat Councillor Dolly Munien address the angry residents who are fighting for their basic right to water. pic.twitter.com/4PYRd5Ex9R
— ECR_Newswatch (@ECR_Newswatch) June 1, 2022
Angry Tongaat residents have blocked roads with burning tyres in protest over no water since the April floods. Video supplied
— Lauren_Beukes39 (@LBeukes39) June 1, 2022
@ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/1UukJoX9OF
Newswatch caught up with the councillor to find out who's receiving water.
"I am glad to say most of my areas do have water in the taps, some have the water in the morning from three to six and some have it in the afternoons from four to eight."
She says the other areas should have water by tomorrow.
Jojo tanks have also been installed, but residents are still not happy.
"A whole household has coronavirus, they are going to the water tank because there is nobody there to take water to that family and they need that water," said another resident.
READ: Tongaat ‘no-go zone’ as angry residents take to the streets
"They are going to go to the tank. How many other people are going to get infected? A whole lot, they are passing the virus. People that are chronic patients that need that water don’t have it. The water that we are getting, you cant drink that water."
A woman from Belvedere believes they are being ignored as a poorer community.
"Our anger is quite righteous right now and the municipality should be taking us seriously because we are not going to stop at this protest that we had today. We are going to continue until we get our water."
Tongaat residents Rinaa Purushothan says they are fed up and need their water restored. Residents have taken to the streets in protest again after going over 50 days without water. @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/BAA3uUDdsf
— Lauren_Beukes39 (@LBeukes39) June 1, 2022
Meanwhile, the eThekwini mayor says a contractor has been appointed to rebuild the damaged Tongaat Water Treatment Works.
Speaking earlier today, Mxolisi Kaunda said they were aiming to have it completed in October.
He says the contractor will be introduced to the community by the end of this week.
"The road that leads to our plant is the road that is owned by Tongaat Hulett so we are working together with Tongaat Hulett to expedite the process.
"They have already started construction of that road to rehabilitate it so that our teams and the company that will be appointing soon we be able to access the area. They said they will complete that in 10 days."
An emergency pipeline has in the meantime been installed from the Nyaninga Reservoir to Tongaat South.
MORE ON ECR
