*Villagers survive on dirty river water
For over four years, the village of Moroka has been hit with a crippling water shortage.
The villagers’ main source of water is an erratic borehole which regularly runs dry.
More often than not, residents are forced to survive on river water. Unsurprisingly, incidents of diarrhea are common.
The Voice’s Christinah Motlhabane journeyed to the small North East village to find out how the people are coping.
TAWANA NHAMO MAGAWENI (41)
The lack of clean water in Moroka is a massive problem. Since Ntimbale Dam was opened, we have had water from it once! The pipe from Ntimbale passesto Senyawe and Mapokaand runs through Moroka but us residents we don’t get water from it.
That pipe is very deep but ours is too shallow and does not penetrate water from the dam.
Instead, the whole village is forced to rely on a single borehole as the other two have long been shut.
Even the one that works, the water is untreated and anyway the borehole is often empty.
If they can work on the pipes, people can have clean water every day.
ABIGAIL MAENJANISI (44)
When people speak of Moroka water, I get hurt and angry because I am suffering and nothing is being done.
I am from the Zezuru side and I use water from the public tap.
It is now two months that the tap has not been working and it has still not been attended to.
I now rely on the river water which is not clean at all.
I developed some body rashes because of the dirty water.
ONALENNA MASOCHA(50)
Since the construction of Ntimbale Dam we are suffering. When the taps are dry, which happens regularly, we drink from the river so people suffer from diarrhea all the time.
We plead that Ntimbale be worked on so the pipes can reach water because the borehole we use is often dry.
OLTAH MKHUTSHWA (55)
At my place I always have water. But when other people are affected it affects ustoo because they come to our place to ask for water.
Others come from far asking for water and doing their laundry at our place.
Those with money pay other people to fetch water for them from far.
We pray they can stop the water bill system and use tokens.
SEKANI MAFANDZA (59)
The whole village has just one working borehole that we are using and sometimes even that one doesn’t have any water.
We end up drinking from the river which is not healthy at all! When it comes from the taps it is not clean and we don’t know why.
We need clean water in Moroka. They must at least open other boreholes so when one is not working the other one can be used.
JJ MALANGA (36)
Water Utilities is trying but it is not getting there.Moroka residents have been suffering for years.
When water runs in one half of the village the other half will have nothing – that is how we live in Moroka.
Ntimable engine fails to pump water into our village. River water is not safe for drinking at all, people are always crying of diarrhea.
If they can open all the boreholes it could be better. I pray this situation be taken seriously.
