Sophiatown residents say water crisis putting health at risk
Residents in Sophiatown in Johannesburg say the longer their taps remain dry, the more their dignity, health, and livelihoods suffer.
The Johannesburg suburb has been one of the hardest hit by recent water restrictions.
Community members who spoke to the publication painted a grim picture of how some residents were conflicted on whether to use the scant water supplied to them for essential use.
There were more than 20 trucks delivering water to areas supplied by the Hursthill Reservoir, which had run dry.
When the water tankers do arrive, resident described the long queues as a scramble for their livelihoods.
“It’s every man for himself; there is always a queue and I feel sorry for people who don’t have motor vehicles to help them carry the water,” one resident said. While another said: “It’s uncomfortable, now we are starting to see who is more selfish, who has drums and who doesn’t and all of that.”
Many were still in dire need of basic services, with access to sanitation topping the list.
“It’s unhygienic,” one resident said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the doctors’ rooms got more patients because of this situation.”
Community members maintain that the water shortage stems from a combination of poor planning, aged infrastructure, and spectacularly bad crisis management.
-EWN
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