BUSHBUCKRIDGE, Mpumalanga — A deepening Bushbuckridge water crisis has left large sections of the Mpumalanga region without running water for more than a month. The prolonged shortage has severely impacted daily life and livelihoods, pushing communities to the brink as they scramble for basic hydration and sanitation while local authorities battle widespread infrastructure sabotage.
For locals in affected in Dwarsloop, dry taps mean impossible daily choices. Themnbane Munkansi, a resident living with her grandchildren, shared the harsh reality of the situation. She explained that the lack of municipal water has made basic tasks like cooking, washing, and bathing nearly impossible. Forced to purchase water from a local spaza shop at one rand per liter, Munkansi noted she is spending money she does not have just to survive. The severe lack of proper hygiene has also led to her grandchildren developing body allergies.
The situation poses severe health risks, with the threat of waterborne diseases looming large over the community. Those who cannot afford to buy water are resorting to fetching water from nearby streams, rivers, and even digging deep into open municipal drains to find usable liquid.
John Mdluli, another local resident, highlighted the desperation and the direct impact on education. He pointed out that children are going to school without proper baths or clean uniforms because the local schools also lack water. Mdluli also emphasized the heavy financial strain on households, revealing he recently spent nearly 150 rand in a single day just to buy enough water for his family to drink, cook, and wash.
The sanitation crisis is particularly acute in homes equipped with indoor plumbing. Residents report that their flush toilets are unusable and stinking due to the lack of water, compounding the misery of the ongoing outage.
The Bushbuckridge Local Municipality attributes the severe water scarcity to widespread vandalism of critical infrastructure. A municipal spokesperson confirmed that criminals have been stealing essential components, including electrical cables and transformers. Describing the water supply infrastructure as a “national key point,” the municipality labeled the vandalism as “purely sabotage” that is costing the local government dearly. In response, authorities have opened official cases against the security personnel tasked with guarding the infrastructure, while active repair efforts are currently underway.
A major point of contention between the community and local authorities is the deployment of water tankers. The municipality insists it has dispatched water tankers to critical amenities that depend on bulk water, specifically targeting schools, hospitals, and clinics to ensure these institutions can continue to operate. However, residential areas feel largely abandoned. Munkansi and other locals claim they have not seen a single water tanker in their townships since the crisis began, dismissing reports of tankers in local areas as mere rumors.
Frustrated by the lack of residential relief, Munkansi suggested an alternative intervention: the municipality should provide transport to take residents directly to the Inyaga Dam to fetch their own water, rather than failing to reticulate it to the villages.
Despite the current hardships and the community’s skepticism regarding the tankers, the municipality remains adamant that the water supply will be fully restored by the end of the coming week. Until then, the wait—and the daily struggle for clean water—continues for the people of Bushbuckridge.