RESIDENTS of Winnie Madikizela squatter camp in Philippi, Cape Town, had to sleep in flooded shacks after a water pipe burst on Friday.
They said water flowed into their shacks, damaging their belongings.
“We were asleep at about 3am when we heard the sound of flowing water.
“Then the water came into my shack,” said Nosandiso Goso (49).
Nosandiso told Daily Sun that she and her three kids were forced to sleep in a shack full of water.
Another resident, Neziswa Vumsindo (29), said her two-door fridge she bought for R11 000 less than a year ago was inside a dam of water in her shack.
“I don’t know if it is still working. I’m heartbroken. I saved for a long time to buy that fridge.”
Community leader Phumeza Oloba saideveryone was affected and residents couldn’t help one another.
Ward 35 councillor Mboniswa Chitha said after the pipe burst they called the City of Cape Town, which closed off the water. “People had to stay without water for some time until the pipe was fixed.”
She said trucks came to drain the water, but struggled to get to the shacks because of narrow roads.
“However, the problem is being sorted and we’ll give residents the support they need at this point.”
