THE City of Mbombela in Mpumalanga has set out to end illegal water connections.
Since Thursday, 28 September workers for the municipality have been illegally disconnecting pipes connected to the main water pipeline that supplies water from KaNyamazane to KaBokweni.
The illegal connections affected the water supply to Themba Hospital and surrounding areas. Residents in the area had to buy water, which led to several protests against the supply.
Mayor Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko said the city realised that it was losing about 90% of its water, which basically meant it had to shut down operations. She said the municipality had decided to ensure that the illegal connections were removed.
"These illegal connections are the reason why people are not getting water. Some people are connected to the bulk line before it reaches the reservoir. Some even have pumps in the bulk line. The water is pumped into their tanks and their water storage tanks, your Jojo tanks and everything else, and the water does not reach the reservoir.
"We're trying to ensure that we remove all these illegal connections, create a manifold, connect others properly or formalise the connections so that the water reaches our reservoirs, and we are able to supply the community evenly," she said.
Makushe-Mazibuko said there have been many improvements since the project started. She said the reservoir that supplies the hospital has not been able to pump enough water for years because of illegal connections.
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Ziko Tsemane, a resident who has been without water since April 2023, told Daily Sun that he has not been able to get water from his tap for months.
"The pipes are leaking, and these people are not even paying the fees. I have to fetch water with my wheelbarrow every day," he said.
Another resident, Absolom Simelane, who runs a car wash, said that they have been struggling with water supply for a long time.
"What the municipality is doing is good. We have been struggling with water supply for a long time. I have to buy water from Waterkan, which is a loss to my business," he said.
