Hammanskraal water woes: 'People are frustrated'

Community leaders in Hammanskraal said residents have had enough of the government’s empty promises to fix ongoing water problems.

A planned meeting between City of Tshwane officials and residents collapsed on Monday, after tensions boiled over.

The engagement, held at a local hall, descended into chaos when residents demanded the presence of Mayor Nasiphi Moya and refused to be addressed by Utilities MMC Frans Boshielo.

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Community leader Katlego Mthombeni said large numbers of frustrated residents gathered, expecting to hear directly from the mayor, but she did not arrive.

The mayor’s office has told EWN that she was delayed by another municipal engagement that ran over time.

Mthombeni said the community was not informed, warning that while residents are not violent, growing frustration could push them to revolt against the government.

“People on the ground are frustrated. You can imagine you don’t have water in your house. There’s no water in your taps. There is no roaming tanks where you can get clean consumable water. So, you’ll imagine people are frustrated, and they said the mayor called us, we need answers from the mayor.”

For years, Hammanskraal has faced persistent water shortages and poor water quality, despite repeated promises from all levels of government to resolve the crisis.