Guest Contributor
I have decided to quarantine in Elandskraal Village in Limpopo and unfortunately, it has become my first encounter with inhumane and corrupt leadership.
As I am sending this e-mail, the residents have not had water for over two weeks, and there is no transparency or communication from the local municipality to explain the hold-up or problem with the supply of fresh water. There have not been any measures to combat the non-delivery of water; i.e. providing water tanks in each street, or other measures. This is the bare minimum that can be done in the year 2020!
To make matters worse, we are in the midst of a pandemic that requires us to stay indoors, yet this non-delivery of fresh water is forcing people to leave their homes and ask for water from one another as well as gather at the local river to collect water. This is for those who cannot afford to buy water in town – Marble Hall, a 30-minute drive from Elandskraal. Untreated water from the river has many health problems associated with it.
From what I have gathered, fear tactics are used by authorities to scare residents from reporting their misuse of public resources. That is also why I choose to be anonymous.
I want to place this situation in the public domain. That way it can be quickly mitigated by the relevant leaders, who despite my numerous contacts have not made an attempt to respond to or fix the situation. Covid-19 cases are likely to the rise if these situations continue. If they cannot provide water, I don’t want to think about the health system and how it will deal with a rise in Covid-19 cases. Elandskraal is in Limpopo, and falls under the Ephraim Mogale Municipality. It is serviced by the Northen Lepelle Water board
