Residents scrounge for water in Dannhauser

Lady Bank villagers in Dannhauser Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, sit and wait for more than ten minutes at a time for this drum well to fill with water. Photos: Bongane Motaung

Residents of rural Dannhauser Local Municipality say they struggle with prolonged water shortages. Communal taps frequently run dry and households have to rely on untreated water from streams, springs and wells.

The municipality has five water trucks for 19 wards and depends on private contractors.

Mpumelelo Mwelase, from Nyanyadu in Nelly Valley, said their community last had running water in 2018. They last saw a water truck three weeks ago.

Ayanda Sithole, from Lady Bank, said their last delivery was May 2024. After residents protested at Magdalena Coal Mine in June 2025, the mine provided water tankers, but its assistance has ended.

Philisiwe Kubheka, from Mafusini, said tanker deliveries are erratic, with absences of three to four weeks. Taps are dry for weeks at a time.

There have been at least a dozen water protests this past decade. On 9 February, hundreds of Koppie Alleen villagers blocked traffic in protest. The following day, they marched 15km to Mayor Bongani Rhadebe’s office.

Rhadebe sent district technicians to assess the issue.

Thokozani Madela, a protest leader, said it is not the first time technicians were sent to calm things down.

He said residents want the provincial and national water departments to intervene, “because the district municipality has failed us for a long time”.

He said two water supply projects have been stalled for years, leaving half the area’s communal taps dry.

Referring to the stalled projects, Amajuba District Municipality spokesperson Nqobile Cele said replacing terminated contracts “can take time” to ensure compliance with supply chain regulations.

She said the municipality was “working to secure funding” amid financial constraints.

Cele said several projects are underway:

• R15-million construction of water booster pump stations and repair of infrastructure supplying Eastbourne, Jessie, Dorset and Rutland areas, which is almost complete;
• R44-million project to build a concrete reservoir and lay pipelines to supply Skombaren, currently about 60% complete; and
• a separate R39-million project to improve revenue collection by reducing water losses and installing meters.

Cele said capacity at the Ngagane Water Treatment Works had not kept pace with population growth.

She said Uthukela Water had recently been approved for funding from the national department to improve its supply to the municipality.

The municipality is planning to upgrade its raw water bulk line from Ntshingwayo Dam to Durnacol Water Treatment Works, and quadruple the plant’s capacity. According to Cele, this would ensure all of Dannhauser receives “uninterrupted potable water supply”.

Lady Bank villagers fetch water from a drum well.

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