Frustration is mounting among residents of Spring Valley in Mpumalanga, who describe themselves as “the forgotten people” due to a prolonged lack of basic services from the Emalahleni Local Municipality.
The community reports they were promised clean drinking water approximately three years ago, a promise that remains unfulfilled. With no reliable municipal supply, residents are forced to fetch water for daily home use from a nearby stream. However, the stream is contaminated with raw sewage, making the water unsafe.
One resident detailed the community’s failed efforts, stating they have visited the municipality multiple times with no result. The situation is not alleviated by municipal water tankers, which residents say do not arrive on time. The water delivered by these tankers is also reportedly “very dirty and can’t be drunk,” forcing families to purchase drinking water from local stores like Pick’n Pay.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has confirmed it is applying pressure on the Emalahleni municipality to resolve the ongoing water and sanitation crisis.
In response to the growing complaints, a spokesperson for the Emalahleni municipality said that the issue “is receiving the needed attention to resolve it.”
