Joseph Chirume
More than 5,000 residents of Chris Hani Village had agreed on Friday to fill the streets of Kariega and force the municipality to provide them with more Jojo tanks and water tankers.
But the arrival of much-needed water tankers on Monday, as well as the presence of President Cyril Ramaphosa, appears to have averted the massive community protest.
Spokesperson for the Nelson Mandela Bay Water Crisis Committee, Siya Mama, said residents were shocked to find several water tankers lining their streets early on Monday morning.
He said this was unusual given that the 5,000 residents had spent several months scrambling and shoving each other to fetch water from a single Jojo tank in the area.
Mama told Scrolla.Africa, “It’s not even contractors who delivered water this time, but municipal trucks. Water just started coming out from people’s taps.”
Not only had the municipality delivered several water tanks to the area, they also sent technicians to carry out repairs.
“For the first time there were countless municipal technicians who were in the area to fix leaks.
It’s very interesting what is happening. This also means that we are making an impact as the
Mandela Bay Water Crisis Committee. It’s interesting although it’s a temporary measure.”
Resident Emelda Jaanties told Scrolla.Africa, “The government is playing games with us. They have the water and the means to provide it to us. They provided water today because they knew President Ramaphosa would be in the area. I hope this will not stop when he goes.”
Ramaphosa came to the Metro on Monday to join residents in celebrating Mandela Day. He used the event to assure residents that the government will ensure Day Zero is pushed back.
He first visited the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works which is used to transfer water from the Gariep Dam in Free State into the water-strained Nelson Mandela Bay.
Ramaphosa said, “The drought that has persisted for seven years has just made things worse. Climate change is having an adverse effect here in this province and the government is taking steps at all levels to address the challenges.”
Ramaphosa was accompanied by Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and the Executive Mayor of NMB, Eugene Johnson.
