Members of the Ntokozweni community are forced to drink water from a small stream, filled with human waste and rubbish. “We drink water alongside the cattle, goats and dogs,” said Ntokozweni resident, Sabela Mabaso.
Ntokozweni is one of the neighbouring townships in the Colenso area and is situated along the R74. Mabaso told The Ladysmith Herald that the community has no option but to use the water from the stream, commonly known as a spruit. He said for the past two years no water tankers had been sent to the community and a communal tap has been dry for over a year. “We have not seen a water tanker in years and because of the rainfall, we are using water from this dirty spruit. Mabasa said until two weeks ago the bulk of their water was collected from a nearby township, but that residents there had stopped giving it to the Ntokozweni community as it had become too costly for them. “The residents don’t want to help us with water anymore because they have to pay for it.” Mabaso said community members used to cross the busy R74 to reach the neighbouring community and would then spend most of the day begging them for water. While The Ladysmith Herald was conducting the interview, one of the residents who fetched her water from the stream said they had to boil the water before they could drink it. The residents said if the stream dries out, they will have to seek other ways to collect water for their homes. The uThukela District Municipality had not commented at the time of going to press.
