Kubantu abayizinkulungwane abahlala kuWard 105, ukuphuma kwelanga nsuku zonke kuqala ngomsebenzi onzima wokuphatha amabhakede nokuhamba amabanga amade beyokha amanzi emifudlaneni ehlanganyelwa nezinkomo, izimbuzi nezinja, esikhundleni sokuvula ompompi emakhaya.Umphakathi uthi usuhlale ngaphandle kwamanzi kamasipala kusukela ngonyaka ka-2020, okushiye imindeni eminingi iphoqeleka ukusebenzisa amanzi angaphephile, kuyilapho ilindele izethembiso ezingakaze zigcwaliseke.
Ngokwesimemo sabaholi bomphakathi, Inkundla Yezindaba ivakashele le ndawo ukuze izibonele mathupha ubunzima obubhekene nabahlali. Izakhamuzi zikhulume ngeminyaka yokuhlupheka, zisola uMasipala waseThekwini kanye neKhansela lewadi UAyanda Ndlovu, ngokubashiya dengwane. Abahlali bathi kudala babenamanzi agelezayo futhi isimo sasihamba kahle kwaze kwaqala amaphrojekthi ahlukahlukene, okubalwa ukufakwa kwamamitha amanzi kanye nephrojekthi yokwakhiwa komgwaqo eyayenziwa yinkampani iPipeline Construction, okwaholela ekuphazamisekeni kokuhlinzekwa kwamanzi.
UMnu. Mzulwini, owayesebenza enkampanini iPipeline Construction eyayiqashwe ukulungisa umgwaqo, utshele Inkundla Yezindaba ukuthi ngesikhathi kuqhubeka umsebenzi wokwakha, kwaqhuma ipayipi lamanzi likamasipala. “Ipayipi laqhuma sisasebenza. Sasheshe sabika kumphathi wethu, naye wazisa inhloko yomsebenzi. Salungisa ingxenye esasikwazi ukuyilungisa, kodwa ingxenye eyayisele kwathiwa izolungiswa uMasipala,” kusho yena. Sekuphele iminyaka eyisithupha kusukela kwenzeka leso sigameko, kodwa abahlali bathi ipayipi alikaze lilungiswe. Ukuqhuma kwepayipi kwadala ukulahleka kwengcindezi yamanzi kwaphinde kwalimaza nephampu, kodwa kuze kube namuhla akukho okulungisiwe. Omunye wabahlali, uMnu. Ezekiel Nkosi, uzwakalise ukunganeliseki ngokwehluleka kukaMasipala ukulungisa ipayipi kanye nephampu.“Njalo ngonyaka sizwa izizathu ezintsha. Kuqala kwakuthiwa yipayipi, kwase kuthiwa yiphampu. Kanti ipayiphi noma iphampu kungathatha iminyaka emihlanu noma eyisithupha kungalungiswa? Kusobala ukuthi abasikhathalele. Abakwazi ukwenza lutho ngaphandle kokusithembisa,” kusho uNkosi. Lapho Inkundla Yezindaba ibuza uSihlalo weKomidi Lamanzi kuMasipala waseThekwini, uMnu. Mduduzi Nkosi, mayelana nepayipi elaqhuma kanye nephampu eyonakele, wanikeza impendulo ephikisana nalokho okushiwo ngabahlali kanye nowayengusonkontileka.
Empendulweni ebhaliwe, uNkosi uthe iphampu okukhulunywa ngayo yasuswa ekusebenziseni ngenxa yokucekelwa phansi okwakuphindelela. Uthe ukuhlinzekwa kwamanzi kwase kuxhunywa ohlelweni lweNungwane 2 Reservoir, oluhlinzeka ngamanzi ngendlela ethembeke kakhulu. Uphinde wathi ngokolwazi namarekhodi kamasipala, alikho ipayipi elisalindele ukulungiswa. Lokhu kuphikisana ngqo nalokho okushiwo ngabahlali kanye nowayesebenza enkampanini eyakha umgwaqo, abathi ipayipi elaqhuma alikaze lilungiswe.
UNkosi uphinde wasola ukucekelwa phansi kwengqalasizinda kanye nokuxhunywa kwamanzi ngokungemthetho ngokuba yizimbangela eziyinhloko zokuphazamiseka kokuhlinzekwa kwamanzi. Uthe ukuthembeka kokuhlinzekwa kwamanzi kuzothuthuka kuphela uma sekuqedwe uhlelo olukhulu lwe-Upper Mkhomazi Water Scheme, oluzokwandisa amanzi ahlinzekwa kule ndawo.
Mayelana nokuhlinzekwa kwamanzi ngamaloli, uNkosi uvumile ukuthi amaloli athunyelwa ngokuya ngokutholakala kwawo kanye nesidingo sezindawo ezahlukene eziseningizimu yeTheku. Uthe ukuhanjiswa kwamanzi kuhlelwa ngokubambisana namakhansela amawadi, njengoba kunezindawo eziningi ezithembele kule ndlela. UMasipala uphinde waveza ukuthi ukuhlolwa kwekhwalithi yamanzi kwenziwa njalo ngemva kwamasonto amabili njengengxenye yohlelo lwawo lokuqapha ikhwalithi yamanzi. Ngokomasipala, amanzi ahlangabezana nezilinganiso ezibekwe yiSouth African National Standards (SANS).
Nakuba kunjalo, ngesikhathi Inkundla Yezindaba ivakashele le ndawo, ompompi abaningi bebomile. Endaweni eyaziwa ngokuthi kwaNjapha esihosheni, eKwaMpule, sizithele kuSiyanda Malunga ewasha izingubo zakhe emfuleni osuphenduke umthombo omkhulu wamanzi emphakathini. “Anginayo enye indlela. Lapha yilapho siwasha khona izingubo, sikha khona amanzi futhi kwesinye isikhathi siyawaphuza. Okubuhlungu ukuthi nezinkomo, izinja nezinye izilwane zisebenzisa wona la manzi,” kusho uSiyanda.
Eduze kwalapho, abantu asebekhulile, abesifazane nezingane babonakale belinde ngamabhakede ukuze bakhe amanzi. Ngemuva kwalokho bathwala iziqukathi ezisindayo bebuyela emakhaya, abanye bezithwele emakhanda, kanti abanye bezihudula emigwaqweni enothuli.
Lo msebenzi usuphenduke ingxenye yempilo yansuku zonke emindenini eminingi. Le nkinga iphinde ibe nomthelela omkhulu emfundweni yezingane. Umfundi kaGrade 11, uFanele Njwara, uthe usuku ngalunye lwesikole luphetha ngokuhamba ibanga elide eyokukha amanzi.
“Sivuka siye esikoleni, sibuye ekhaya bese sichitha amahora amaningi siyokukha amanzi. Uma sesiqedile sesikhathele kakhulu,” kusho yena.
Abahlali bathi sebehambele imihlangano eminingi, bafaka izikhalo futhi balinda isikhathi eside ukuthi bathole izixazululo. Bathi iKhansela lewadi belihlale libathembisa ukuthi inkinga yamanzi izoxazululwa, kodwa akukho okushintshile.
“Ngelinye ilanga ikhansela lathumela uthishanhloko wesikole sethu ukuba azobhala phansi izikhalo zethu egameni lakhe. Sasicabanga ukuthi ekugcineni kukhona okuzokwenzeka, kodwa kuze kube namuhla akukho okushintshile,” kusho omunye umhlali ocele ukungadalulwa igama lakhe ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlukunyezwa.
UNksz. Ntombenhle Makhanya, oyilungu lekomidi lewadi, uthe uchithe iminyaka edlulisa izikhalo zomphakathi ekhanseleni.
“Uyazi kahle ukuthi siphila kanjani. Bengihlale ngimazisa ngazo zonke izikhalo zomphakathi kwaze kwaba yilapho eyeka ukuphendula izingcingo zami. Manje umphakathi usungisola ngokuthi ngiwukhohlisile ngoba akukho lutho olushintshayo,” kusho yena.
Uthe wagcina ukukhuluma nekhansela ngesikhathi ligubha ukuqokwa kwalo njengoMgcinimafa wesifunda we-ANC. “Umphakathi usuhlukene phakathi ngoba abantu bacabanga ukuthi angisabamele nokuthi akusekho olwa nezinkinga zabo,” kusho uMakhanya.
Lapho Inkundla Yezindaba icela ukuphawula kuKhansela leWard 105, uMnu. Ayanda Ndlovu, waphendula ngokubhaliweyo,
UNdlovu uthe iWard 105 yafakwa ngaphansi koMasipala waseThekwini isuswa kuMasipala Wesifunda sase-Ugu ngenxa yezinselelo zokuhlinzekwa kwezidingongqangi, ikakhulukazi amanzi. Ubalule izindawo ezihlaselwe yile nkinga okubalwa kuzo iMfume, Thenjane, Fakazi kanye nezinye. Uthe ingqalasizinda ekhona yakhelwa ukuhlinzeka amanzi ngompompi bomphakathi, hhayi emizini eminingi enama-water meter. Uthe ukwanda kwesibalo sabantu kanye nokuxhunywa kwamanzi ngokungemthetho sekubeke ingcindezi enkulu ohlelweni lokuphakelwa kwamanzi.
“Inani labantu selikhule kakhulu, yingakho amapayipi akhona engasakwazi ukubhekana nesidingo samanzi. Yingakho sekungasenamanzi emakhaya nakompompi bomphakathi,” kusho yena.
UNdlovu uqinisekise ukuthi uMkhandlu waseThekwini usuvumile uhlelo lokuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda yamanzi lwango-2025/2026, futhi sekuqokiwe ochwepheshe abazoklama lo msebenzi. Uthe phakathi kwamaphrojekthi azoqala kulo nyaka wezimali kubalwa ukuthuthukiswa kweMfume Pump Station, ukwandiswa kweMfume Reservoir isuke ku-1 million litres iye ku-5 million litres, ukwakhiwa kwe-Umgodi Pump Station kanye nokuthuthukiswa kweVumelethu Reservoir.
Mayelana namaloli ahambisa amanzi, uNdlovu uthe kusukela ngo-2016 kuya ku-2021 iWard 105 yayihlinzekwa amaloli ayisishiyagalombili nsuku zonke. Nokho, wathi izinkinga phakathi kukaMasipala nabahlinzeki bezinsiza, kanye nezinkontileka ezaphenywa uMcwaningimabhuku-Jikelele, zaphazamisa lolu hlelo.
Uthe njengamanje umphakathi uthola amaloli amanzi njalo ngeSonto ngokohlelo olukhona. UNdlovu uphinde waveza ukuthi sekumbiwe imithombo yamanzi (boreholes) kwezinye izindawo okubalwa kuzo iNdaya, Madundubala, Thokoza, Qumbu, Mphendu kanye neNgolela, nakuba evumile ukuthi lokhu akukazisizi zonke izingxenye zeWard 105. UKhansela uNdlovu akazange aphendule imibuzo eqondile mayelana nokuxhumana kwakhe nomphakathi, kodwa wanikeza kuphela ulwazi olujwayelekile ngamaphrojekthi ahleliwe.
Nokho, abahlali bayakuphikisa lokho okushiwo uKhansela uNdlovu Kanye no Masipala ukuthi ezinye izingxenye zeWard 105 sezithole amanzi, nokuthi amaloli amanzi ayafika kanye ngesonto.
“Izikhulu zithi amanzi abuyile, kodwa lokho akulona iqiniso. Akekho oke wafika lapha ezobheka isimo noma asichazele ukuthi kwenzekani. Basikhohlwa ngoba siwumphakathi wasemakhaya. Basikhumbula kuphela ngesikhathi sokhetho, bese besinyamalalela uma sekuphelile,” kusho ilungu lomphakathi uNtozakhe Khomo.
Inkinga yamanzi inomthelela omkhulu empilweni yabantu asebekhulile. UMnu. noNkk. Nkosi, abangabantu asebekhulile, nabathola isibonelelo sahulumeni, nabahlala enkabeni yeWard 105, bathi baphoqeleka ukusebenzisa imali efinyelela ku-R600 empeshenini yabo nyanga zonke ukuthenga amanzi ngoba amaloli kamasipala engafiki njalo. “Sesigugile, asisakwazi ukuhamba siyokukha amanzi. Uma sicela usizo kubashayeli bamaloli, basitshela ukuthi sishayele uMasipala noma ikhansela. Akekho ozimisele ukuthatha isibopho,” kusho uNkk. Nkosi.
OwayeyiKhansela likaWard 105, uMnu. Kweyama, uthe kuyadabukisa ukubona umphakathi usahlushwa yile nkinga.“Lezi zinhlelo zamanzi zakhiwa ngenhloso yokusiza umphakathi. Kuyadumaza ukuthi ngemuva kweminyaka eminingi abantu basahlupheka ngaphandle kwezixazululo. Nami ngabika lezi zinkinga kuMasipala ngesikhathi ngisasebenza, yingakho ezinye zalezi zakhiwo zakhiwa. Kodwa kuyadabukisa ukuthi namanje azisebenzi ngendlela efanele futhi akekho obonakala efuna ukusiza umphakathi,” kusho yena.
Induna yendawo, uMkhize, ithe isikhathi sesifikile sokuthi kube nezixazululo ezihlala isikhathi eside. “Abantu bakithi sebehlupheke isikhathi eside kakhulu. Amanzi ayilungelo eliyisisekelo lomuntu. UMasipala mawuyeke ukusithembisa, ulethe izixazululo ezihlala njalo,” kusho iNduna.
Umphakathi usunxuse uMasipala waseThekwini ukuba uvakashele ngokushesha le ndawo, uhlangane nezakhamuzi futhi unikeze isikhathi esiqondile sokuthi amanzi azobuyiselwa nini. Izakhamuzi zaseWard 105 zizoqhubeka nohambo lwazo lwansuku zonke lokuphatha amabhakede ziyokha amanzi emifuleni ukuze ziphile.
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