By: Lucia Maduma and Nontobeko Mlambo

A water leak at Ladies Bar in Dassenhoek, south of Pinetown, is causing kiloliters of water to go to waste.

According to residents, the pipes have been leaking since 2010 and the municipality has not done anything about it.

Residents believe that the reason for the leakage is that people steal water from the main pipe by connecting small pipes to their homes.

Some of the residents said that they have been waiting for the municipality to supply them with water for a long time and nothing has happened that is why some of them have resorted
to stealing water.

“I have been waiting for the municipality to installed water for me for a long time and they haven’t done anything so now I go with my container to the leaking pipe and get clean
water,” said Zandile Mbonambi, whose house is close to the leaking pipe.

Some of the residents collect water from Umhlathuzana River for washing and cleaning but they said it is not clean for them to drink or cook with.

“The water coming from the leaking pipe is destroying the road and making it slippery, it makes it hard for us to use that road,” said Nokuzola Khumalo, who has been a resident at
Ladies’s Bar for over 10 years.

KwaZulu Natal is suffering from water shortages and according to the report on the Right to Access to Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation in South Africa published by South African

Human Rights Commission in March 2014, KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most affected provinces by drought.

While visiting KwaZulu-Natal in July, Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyana said that the drought that KwaZulu-Natal is experiencing is the worst since 1992
and urged people to use water sparingly.

According to the report on the Right to Access to Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation, in South Africa less water will be supplied to municipalities because water production will be

reduced as a result of this less water will be supplied to the municipalities.

The municipality spokesperson was not available for comment.