‘Let them give us tap water then we will vote’

As voters woke up early to beat the rush to voting stations across the country, some residents of Lillydale A, in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga could not be bothered as they woke up early to fetch water from a communal tap instead. 

One of the residents, Tlangelani Chauke, who was pushing a wheelbarrow with a baby strapped on her back told SowetanLive that voting was the last thing on her mind. 

She was part of the group of young and old women who spoke SowetanLive about their struggles with access to water in their homes.

“Let them give us tap water at our homes [then] we will vote,” they said when asked about voting.

Chauke whose house is about three kilometers from a communal tap said by the time she gets home after collecting water she would be too tired to walk to the voting station. 

“This year they must forget about my vote,” she said. “Voting is the last thing on my mind. I have been voting for years but nothing is changing. I don’t have money to buy a water for my house. I don’t work and have never found a job before, I see no reason to vote.”

Lillydale is one of several areas affected by water shortages. Other areas include Mabharhule and Summerset.

Residient Dephney Nkuna said she cannot vote for people to be rich. 

“My ID book is right under pillow at home. I can’t vote to make politicians rich. Look now I’m here to fetch water, what kind of life is this where I have to push barrows everyday? I’m not voting, let them bring us water maybe we can talk about voting. Our children don’t work and as a parent I don’t work, so voting will not help me,” said Nkuna. 

Spokesperson of the Bushbuckridge local municipality Fhumulani Thovhakale said she would check the issues of water at Lillydale. 

“You will remember that matters of water was put on top during our IDP consultations, let me check directly where Lillydale stands in terms of water provision.” said Thovhakale.