TULANI NGWENYA
MPUMALANGA – Municipalities in the province are failing to provide enough clean water for people’s basic needs as the world celebrates World Water Day on 22 March. Disposal of dirty water and sewage is even more desperate in province’s local communities.
WaterAid’s latest report “Turn the tide: The state of the world’s water 2021” shows how people are losing access to clean water.
A retired Mbombela municipality worker who chose to be identified as Mr Mahlangu highlighted to Timeless News that, “Systems’ for disposal and conservation of water are outdated and in a poor state in the province. Water systems are also too small for the growing needs of the province. Entire distribution systems are in urgent need of proper expansion and maintenance.”
“Without easy access to clean water, people’s lives are blighted by sickness, poverty and the endless drudgery of collecting water,” WaterAid said in a statement.
Tim Wainwright, WaterAid’s Chief Executive indicated that, “Unless communities have access to a reliable source of water, people’s health will suffer, and they’ll be burdened with spending more and more time searching for water, taking away the opportunity to create a better life and escape poverty.”
There have been imposing statements from public figures in the province on how water is life and how access to water and sanitation are essential for human dignity. Unfortunately, these sentiments mean very little to so many people living in Mpumalanga who are struggling to meet their basic water needs every day.
Ntandazo Majonga a Delmas local spoke to Timeless News on World Water Day saying, “These days the water is clear and tastes better but a few months ago it would come out brown and smelling. I now even suspect if it is indeed clean no matter that we see it clear when it comes out. Human Rights Day or World Water Day, it is all the same for us, the struggle for clean water continues.”
A clean water activist and scholar Nancy Matema revealed to Timless News that, “Fewer than 10% of the sewage treatment works under the care of municipalities in South Africa produce effluent that is of an acceptable standard, Mpumalanga included. That effluent is emptied into the nearest river. The poorly treated sewage of one town becomes part of the drinking water of the next town down the river.”
Sophie Ntuli a Supervisor at Hosios Christian School in the town of Delmas commented on World Water Day to Timeless News saying, “Whether we are talking about rural Mpumalanga inhabitants or town dwellers, dirty water needs to be properly disposed of so as not to pose a risk to human life and the environment. Proper disposal of water also means proper water preservation.”
Ntuli went on to point out that, “One’s first thoughts always turn to access to water to drink and prepare food, but the sanitation aspect of water is as important as access. ”
Access to clean water in the province influences most situations that contribute to cases related to and of waterborne diseases. Mpumalanga cannot afford to have potentially preventable cases of waterborne diseases inundating in hospitals and clinics when every health care worker needs to cope with the COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Jo Barnes, Senior Lecturer Emeritus in the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University, speaking with Timeless News on 22 March while celebrating World Water Day said that, “Water should be treated properly to remove disease-causing organisms and harmful chemicals before being distributed to consumers. This is so poorly done in so many places that water purification is becoming as bad as sewage treatment in a large number of towns.”
Vuyisile Ncube from Human Rights Watch pointed out to Timeless News that, “More needs to be done to ensure that marginalized communities in Mpumalanga, and other parts of South Africa have their right to water upheld. South Africa is a water scarce country and so water governance needs to take that into account and put the needs of people first.”
