One of the contaminated dams in King Cetshwayo District Municipality. Photo: Supplied.
Durban — Eshowe community members fear for their lives following reports of chemical contamination in the water.
This comes after reports that “unsafe” chemical substances were found at the eHlazi and Ruthledge water dams, which are said to have “directly affected” the eShowe water purification plant.
The King Cetshwayo District Municipality mayor, Thami Ntuli, said this was “a deliberate contamination” of dams supplying water to communities.
The contamination was followed by vandalism of one of the reservoirs.
“One of the reservoirs has been shot at and broken, leaving no doubt about the presence of vandalism and targeted sabotage.
Hlengiwe Mazibuko, a resident in Umlalazi, Eshowe, said they are scared to use tap water again. She said they now fetch water from the river.
“It has affected us very badly. Even kids can’t attend schools because some are closed. We have to go and fetch dirty water in the river. Whoever is behind this sabotage doesn’t care about our lives as a community,’’ said Mazibuko.
Mazibuko also said even though water tankers are helping, it was not enough.
“Even the water tankers are not enough. We stay with smelly toilets because there is no water to flush. We even go to work without taking a bath,” said Mazibuko.
Ntuli said: ‘’We strongly condemn these acts of sabotage that compromise the infrastructure intended to serve our people's fundamental needs. Such actions inflict untold suffering upon our communities and pose a significant challenge to the District as a whole.”
This incident has forced the King Cetshwayo District Municipality to immediately suspend operations at the eShowe water purification plant until further notice.
The district has since opened two cases in Umlalazi and Mandeni police stations.
The mayor also said the district municipality cannot tell whether these acts are criminal or driven by political motivations.
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