RESIDENTS say they've not had running water for more than 10 years.
Some are spending hundreds of rands to buy water while the Rustenburg Local Municipality struggles to find a permanent solution.
The residents told Daily Sun that the water crisis in Rustenburg is nothing new to them.
Rustenburg Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma held a press conference on Tuesday, 5 March to provide an update on the state of the water supply.
Daily Sun visited households in Rustenburg. One of the residents, Rose Pule (50), said the municipality always says it's fixing the problem, but it has been years now.
"The municipality doesn’t care about us and our health. This water crisis is causing serious hygiene problems," she said.
Rose said that she has lived in the area for seven years and they only have running water in their homes twice a day and only for a few hours.
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"I spend about R100 a day. We use the water for drinking, cooking and washing clothes. It’s painful because we still have to pay the municipality for the water supply. We end up paying for something that is not sufficient. The water in Rustenburg is not fit for living," she said.
Another resident said he had not had water for 10 years.
"When we have water from the tap, it is brown and dirty. Our government is useless and doesn't care about our health," said the resident.
He said he pays for the water and still pays for municipal services.
"We spend over R2 000 a month on purified water and pay about R1 500 for water supply. That’s a lot and puts a strain on us as a family, so we cannot afford other necessities."
Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma has urged residents to use water sparingly as the town continues to suffer from water shortages.
She said the municipality is supplied by two major water companies - Rand Water and Magalies Water. Both the Rand Water and Magalies Water systems are currently under pressure because water supplies are restricted.
"We understand the significant inconvenience caused to our residents and businesses and would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption. The municipality is committed to finding sustainable and robust solutions to avoid such incidents in the future," she said.
