Upper Ngqwara residents finally taste freedom after years of struggling to have clean running water. At least four villages (kwaZuma, kwaMnguni, Manzothweni & Machibini) in Upper Ngqwara, Mqanduli under King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality now have clean running water after years of drinking water from the river with cows and pigs.
Since democracy, these villagers have waited patiently and hoped that the government would intervene and install taps that have clean running water, but their hopes went down the drain as they were told years after years that their villages could not be located on the geographical map. Councillors and representatives of these villages have worked hard trying to see to the bottom of this matter but have exhausted their means to do so.
The four villages are some of the poor and struggling villages in the Mqanduli region. When experiencing dry seasons, it was necessary for the local residents to buy water, meaning that those that did not have the money to buy water and those with no tanks to store water that would at least last for a week; were forced to drink unsanitary water from the river, where livestock also drank.
In 2019, a contractor was sent to assist these villages to have water but was turned away. The reason was that the contractor was sent by a political party that the village leaders and representatives weren’t in favour of. The whole negotiation turned out to be political and the contractor walked away. Residents faced the misfortune of being deprived of the opportunity to have clean water because of the politics that prevailed among the leaders.
A small number of people in Mnguni village were, unfortunately, sick from dirty water. Among them is an old woman who lives with her great grandchildren, known as MaMpinga. She had to walk the distance to the river with her grandchildren to fetch water and to do laundry. All of this has affected her health.
“We have been drinking dirty water for years and getting sick because of it. Most times, I couldn’t even boil the water as there was no electricity so we drank the water as dirty as it was”
After several years, the villagers of Upper Ngqwara now have installed water pumps with clean running water and are located just outside their yards.
The old and young people in this area, including MaMpinga showed great happiness and said that they still don’t believe that they drink clean water that is available nearby.
Another resident, who is partially blind reflected on how she struggled to get water just for drinking.
“I can’t see well, and I live alone. I don’t have anyone to send to the river. One day I almost drowned in the river and was helped by a herdsman. If he wasn’t there, worst could’ve happened”.
