Southbroom residents on the KZN South Coast are frustrated over constant water outages. Residents across Southbroom and surrounding areas on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast say prolonged water outages have left them without a basic service for weeks at a time, forcing households to incur significant personal costs and fundamentally change how they access water. The affected areas fall under the jurisdiction of Ugu District Municipality, the designated Water Services Authority.
Adriaan Henn, a pensioner living at in Southbroom, said: “We have now been without water for 22 days and counting.” He explained that many residents simply cannot afford alternatives. “We cannot afford to pay for private contractors that deliver water,” he said, describing tanker prices as “exorbitant, unreasonably, excessively, or unfairly high, and going far beyond what’s considered reasonable or expected.” “I hereby wish to express my shock and dissatisfaction with costs we have to incur towards a basic right,” Henn added. He believes the situation is being exploited: “I am of the opinion that the exploitative and exorbitant charges are the result of Ugu not delivering water and private contractors who see the gap and take advantage of us.” He said the issue “needs to be addressed as a matter of the highest priority.” Another resident from Captain Smith Road, who did not want to be named, said the last water supply was received before Christmas.
“Last time we received water was before Christmas. Can’t remember the exact date,” the resident said. While a 10,000-litre JoJo tank has delayed the need to buy water, “the tank is right at the bottom now.” “I have received one reference number from Ugu for the complaint although I have quite often had my calls closed without receiving water so it means very little to me.” Resident, Jeanne Michau described recurring outages over an extended period.
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“Over the last 6 months, there have been regular periods where we have not received water for 2/3 weeks,” she said. “This peaked over the festive season in December with the influx of visitors.” She outlined the practical consequences: “No water means no flushing of loos (have to use standby bottles), washing clothes/dishes etc. Plants in pots have died.”
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