By Doreen Mokgolo
- Water truck operators make millions supplying water to desperate Tshwane communities hit by constant supply cuts.
- The City spends R116-million on water trucks while residents are forced to pay up to R250 for water delivery.
Scrolla Water Watch: With load shedding now a thing of the past, nationwide water shortage is South Africa’s most urgent crisis. In this series of community-based reporting, we look at how this affects communities.
The operators of water tank trucks are getting rich in Tshwane while residents go thirsty. The City spent R116-million in the 2023/24 financial year to supply water to areas with broken pipes or a lack of taps.
Communities like Stinkwater, New Eersterus, Refentse, Dilopye and Trustfarm face water cuts at least twice a month due to damaged pipes.
Desperate residents must then buy water from trucks, paying between R200 and R250 per delivery to fill their JoJo tanks.
Former water and sanitation MMC Themba Fosi said some people are making big money from the water crisis.
“As per the court ruling, the Department of Human Settlements and municipality must provide water and toilets to every informal settlement,” he said.
“Unfortunately there is intentional vandalism and sabotage of the system and encouraging of new informal settlements to create a need for water tankers. They know that the municipality cannot police every fire hydrant and pump station.”
It’s alleged that some councillors work with service providers to avoid proper tender processes. They are accused of damaging water pipes to create more work for the trucks.
City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said fixing emergency pipeline breaks costs up to R15,000 each time.
“This includes materials to execute repairs, the cost of labour and supporting equipment,” he said.
Mashigo claimed there was no proof of sabotage, saying pipes can burst due to pressure. However, Scrolla.Africa found over 10 water trucks filling up at a Stinkwater fire hydrant on Tuesday, even though the City says it’s not currently supplying water tankers to that area.
One truck driver said they deliver water daily to 10 informal settlements that have sprung up nearby.
“There are sections that don’t have a water pipeline because there were plans to move the residents to a different location,” he said.
“The supply of water in these areas is frequently disrupted because of burst pipes due to pressure, or from old asbestos pipes.”
Pictured above: Water delivery trucks.
Source: Sbongile Nonyane
