Castlehill residents fed up with unannounced water cuts: no water to pray
RESIDENTS of Castlehill in Newlands West say they are at their wits’ end after facing ongoing, unannounced water disruptions since the beginning of December – leaving many scrambling for water late into the night and early hours of the morning.
The water cuts, which typically occur in the evenings and last until early morning, have severely affected daily life, particularly for elderly residents. Pensioners in the area say the disruptions have turned their lives upside down, forcing them to adjust basic routines around bathing, sanitation and religious practices.
Saber Ahmed Jazbhay, 73, a retired legal professional, said repeated complaints to the eThekwini Municipality have led nowhere.
“I have been complaining to the municipality for many weeks now with no avail. Every time I send an SMS, it just says ‘in progress’. The worst part is that I now have issues with my reference number. They say it is not working or does not exist,” said Jazbhay.
He explained that the lack of water had placed strain on him and his wife.
“My wife and I are old. It is difficult for us to get ready and survive without normal distribution of water. It has become embarrassing now when guests come over. Sometimes we have no water to show beforehand, nor do we have water for the toilets.”
Jazbhay added that residents received no prior communication about the disruptions and no alternative support such as water tankers.
“I know we have infrastructural issues, but the municipality just has no courtesy to tell us of the issues. We do not even have water tankers servicing us. We have to store water every day before it cuts and then boil it the next morning for a bath. It feels like we are living in the old days.”
He warned that frustration in the community was growing.
“The frustrating part is that no one seems to help us nor care for our plight. The municipality is forcing our hand and soon the residents will take real action. We want the municipality to take responsibility, address our issues and give us a timeline. I am too old to be doing everything before 7pm and waiting until after 5am to start my day.”
Another resident, Mahomed Tahir, 67, a retired building contractor, said: “My family of three struggles to have water to pray in the mornings. We have been facing these issues for the last couple of weeks and it has consumed our lives because we were not warned nor given a schedule as to when the water will shut off. We fill water and keep it for the mornings, but by the time we heat water and bath, we miss our prayers. We pay our water and rates and deserve respect for our issues.”
The municipality did not respond at the time of publication.