Eastern Cape villagers fund their own water supply

Fed-up of waiting for authorities, Zigadini residents are taking matters into their own hands, pooling money to set up their own water supply. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik.

Residents of Zigadini location near KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere) in the Eastern Cape are pooling their money to install their own water supply system after years of sharing water sources with animals. Meanwhile, the district municipality faces scrutiny with questions raised about underspending of infrastructure grants.

Each household is contributing R1,000 for infrastructure and an additional R750 for labour. Most of the villagers are pensioners who rely on social grants, and this is a big expense for them.

The community has so far managed to purchase two 5,000-litre tanks and pipes and has connected 14 households.

“It’s a lot of money, but we’re tired of drinking water from where pigs swim. We want clean water,” said Nonkazimlo Nqalathi.

The village falls in ward 24 of Umzimvubu Local Municipality but Alfred Nzo District is responsible for water supply. In 2019, it installed a borehole, but it never worked. In 2022, the district municipality returned and installed water infrastructure in Machibini. But other areas – Moyeni, Mampondomiseni and the rest of Zigadini location – were left without water access.

“We are hoping that the municipality will meet us halfway, but we can’t wait any longer,” said Nqalathi.

Ward 24 Councillor Mlungiseleli Jonase (ANC) said there is currently no budget for the project.

Alfred Nzo water service provision manager Nkosinathi Gule said the plan is to connect Zigadini area to Machibini’s supply, but this depends on budget availability.

While residents invest their own money, the Alfred Nzo municipality has been warned about underspending its infrastructure grants.

In correspondence GroundUp has seen, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs warned in September that it will withhold further grant payments due to persistent underspending. Of the R123-million in grants, the municipality had spent only R16-million (13%), said COGTA.

However, the municipality responded that expenditure would in fact reach 66% once all invoices were received, and it asked that funds not be withheld.

COGTA spokesperson Pheello Oliphant confirmed that a second tranche of infrastructure grant money was transferred in October.

Alfred Nzo spokesperson Nelisile Xolo said the municipality dismisses any report that suggests underspending for the year ending 30 June 2024, and that it was committed to spending all funds for the current year.

Zithobile Mvinjana, of Mampondomiseni, said since the municipality is failing them, it must just supply taps and pipes, “so people can continue on their own”.

Donate using SnapScan.