• Angry residents say the municipality is billing them for water they haven’t received in years.

• The district plans to redirect water currently sent to Gauteng and the Free State back to Newcastle.

The Amajuba District Municipality says it needs R2-billion to fix its water infrastructure as the crisis in the area gets worse.

Newly appointed mayor Thembelihle Mthembu revealed the figure during a community meeting in Dannhauser on Wednesday.

“Floods have become a serious problem that adds more pressure to our damaged water system,” said Mthembu.

“As we speak, we need an injection of R2-billion to fix the water infrastructure. But we’re not in as bad a situation as other district municipalities, which I won’t name, that need over R80-billion. Their water issues could take 50 years to fix.”

His comments came as both black rural and Indian communities in Dannhauser said they were angry over the ongoing water shortages.

Residents said the municipality was making things worse by continuing to bill them for water, even though their taps had been dry for years.

Thandekile MaGumede-Sibisi said: “We are very concerned about the billing system, which is destroying us financially. The worst part is that even when water is available, it’s only given to certain houses. That’s wrong.”

Other residents said water tankers do the same, supplying only select people in their neighbourhoods.

In response, the municipality said it plans to redirect water that currently supplies Gauteng and Free State back to Newcastle, where shortages are now severe.

Pictured above: Amajuba District Mayor Thembelihle Mthembu revealed that his municipality needs R2-billion to avoid water day zero.

Image source: Celani Sikhakhane