For seven years, residents of Ritchie have faced a severe and ongoing water crisis, relying on inconsistent tanker deliveries and a restrictive rotational schedule while raw sewage flows through their streets, creating a health hazard and unbearable living conditions.
The community, located approximately 30 kilometers from Kimberley and falling under the Sol Plaatje Municipality, reports that the water problems began around 2018, despite a previous upgrade to the bulk water supply. The situation has left many frustrated and without recourse, as attempts to engage local leadership have proven futile.
Resident Revelation Ndumiso, of Motswedimosa village, detailed the daily struggles. “We have water shutdowns every morning, every night,” Ndumiso said. “They open it at 6:00, at 2:00 they close it again, and then at 5:00 they open it. But then most of the time when the water comes, it’s so dirty you can’t even use it.”
The unreliable and contaminated supply forces residents, many of whom are unemployed, to use the dirty water for drinking and cooking. The low water pressure and frequent shutdowns also prevent proper sanitation, leading to toilets backing up with sewage. This has resulted in raw sewage overflowing from manholes and running through the streets, from Motswedimosa to a nearby area.
Ndumiso expressed deep frustration with the lack of communication from local councilors, stating they are unavailable for meetings and provide no feedback on when the issues will be addressed. The resident also questioned the efficacy of the past infrastructure upgrade, suggesting the funds may have been misused. “The problems were worse [after the upgrade]. I’m not sure what happened. Was it really upgraded or was it just money that they used to divert for themselves?”
Another resident from house number 26 in Motswedimosa, emphasized the severe health risks posed by the raw sewage. He believes the contaminated water and foul smell are making people sick and may have even caused deaths in the community from illnesses like Tuberculosis.
“I believe that if this matter can be investigated they will come to a point where they see that this is really killing our community members,” he said. “It’s only that nobody pays attention to it and nobody investigates it.”
The water shortage also forces families to store large quantities of water indoors, a practice that has previously led to tragic accidents. Ndumiso noted, “Years back we had a problem where children got drowned in water inside the houses.”
With the town growing rapidly and new informal settlements lacking running water entirely, the crisis is escalating. Past attempts to protest, including a demonstration in 2019 that led to arrests, failed to yield results as memorandums delivered to authorities were never acknowledged.
The Sol Plaatje Municipality has not responded to the specific allegations raised by the residents regarding the water quality, sewage, or the accountability of local councilors.
