READER LETTER | Water crisis due to lack of political will

There is no end in sight for Hammaanskraal’s water problem. Joburg Water’s slogan is, “water is life”, however, it seems in Hammanskraal water is death.

Residents there are killed by water that is supposed to give them life. In Hammanskraal, Tshwane, there is an outbreak of cholera. According to media reports, 17 people have died as a result of cholera.

Seventeen is too many. Others are in hospital. We only know of 17 residents who have died so far. This number is known because the matter is under the media microscope.

There are probably more people who have died before. It is the government that has killed those innocent souls in Hammanskraal. I wished the bereaved families could lay charges against the government. And I also hope lawyers will help these families pro bono.

The water problem in Hammanskraal has been there for years. This means there is no political will to solve the problem. Instead, political parties blame each other whilst residents suffer in silence.

Water is a basic necessity. In Hammanskraal, their water is dirty. Residents drink it because they do not have a choice and cannot live without it. If they had a choice, they would not be consuming it.

After all these years that there has been a water problem in Hammanskraal, it does not look like it will be solved anytime soon. This means the lives of residents there are still at risk. Suffer the people.

– Thabile Mange