Download PDFFor people with diabetes, access to clean water is important for managing their condition. Since 2023, the community of Makhaza and Nkanini in Cape Town, embarked on a journey to prioritise the health and well-being of residents by giving them water testing kits. These tests have encourage the community to report water issues posing a risk to people’s life.
Nomatshaka Mkhosi, a resident from Makhaza was hospitalised earlier in the year and she was told that she drank dirty water. It is because of such incidence that the community decided to make water testing a priority, so that the residents know when the water quality changes.
Another water related issue in our community, is the water restriction that is enforced by the Municipality. “It is painful to depend on the municipality for water,” most people in our communities cannot afford to buy water for consumption and people often struggle with anxiety from the possibility of running out of water, said a resident from Salt River. The water sometimes tastes funny, and the 350 litres for daily use that we received from the municipality is not enough for the whole family, added the resident.
The municipality says they are cutting water off because we are wasting water. In our communities, we use water for basic needs, we do not have pools, we do not have lawns to water and no cars to wash. We are treated this way because we are working class communities.
We need to stand together as working communities, support each during water crises and resist. The municipality is dividing us. We need to fight back and change the situation they put us in. The municipality need to impose water restrictions to those big companies who are using water for profit.
This article was submitted on 30 September 2024. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
