Mpumalanga’s Skaaprus informal settlement has four boreholes for an estimated 500 people (file photo)
Located just outside Ermelo, Skaaprus sprung up alongside one of Mpumalanga’s coal mines and is home to an estimated 500 residents. In 2012, Msukaligwa Municipality built one borehole for the community.
In June 2013, OurHealth reported about Skaaprus’ 25-year battle for clean water.
Months later the municipality built three more boreholes. However, community members say these new boreholes are still not working, which forces them to rely on nearby streams for water.
“We don’t have clean water, and there is no electricity,” said Skaaprus resident Andile Skhosana. “Our living conditions haven’t changed, and sometimes it feels like we have been forgotten.”
Community members say that while they are not confident that the stream water is clean, they prefer it to borehole water.
“We end up using the water from the streams because the borehole water smells even when it’s boiled or bleached,” Delisili Malindzisa told OurHealth.
“Most of us can’t afford to buy clean water because we are poor and unemployed,” said Malindzisa, adding that there is also often not enough borehole water for everyone. “Our health is at risk.”
Ward Counsellor Zodwa Nkosi says that while she understands the community’s frustrations, the municipality can do little unless the community relocates to municipal property.
“The municipality cannot provided water and electricity until they move to an area owned by the municipality,” said Nkosi, who added that municipal boreholes were only meant to assist the community until they relocated and were never meant to be permanent. “If they move, we will be able to resolve their problems.”
Read more: SAHRC: Water, sanitation services in crisis
An edited version of this story first appeared in the Khanyisa Weekly Newspaper
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