During January 2023, the Tumahole community in Parys in Free State took to the streets in protest and shutdown the area following the Ngwathe Local Municipality’s ongoing failure to provide a basic, yet essential, service such as water. Eleven people were arrested on charges of public violence.

In the Inyanda Community News September and October 2022 editions, we published a series of two articles which explored how the water crisis was affecting Tumahole residents. The first article in the series had warned that ‘tensions are high in the township of Tumahole’ as a result of the crisis. The Jojo tanks were described as mere ‘decorations’ since they were rarely refilled. When the representatives of the Inyanda National Land Movement and Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) met with members of the Tumahole community, the community explained that the water crisis has been unfolding since 2009.

On 6 December 2022, the Parys Water Crisis Coordinating Committee presented a set of urgent demands to the Ngwathe Local Municipality regarding the water crisis. The Ngwathe Local Municipality did nothing about these demands, so it comes as no surprise that this crisis has escalated in the way that it has. In a community meeting at the beginning of this year, the decision was then taken to protest and shutdown Tumahole in an attempt to draw attention to the extent of the water crisis and how it has impacted people’s quality of life.

The Inyanda National Movement stands in solidarity with the community for exercising their constitutional right to protest since the lack of water in Parys is a violation of the resident’s constitutional right to water. But during the water protest and shutdown, a municipal building and the Mayor’s mother’s house was torched. As a nonviolent movement, the Inyanda National Land Movement is opposed to violence which destroys infrastructure and is a threat to life.

“Given how essential water is to life and health, the State’s failure to deliver on its constitutional mandate to supply clean drinking water is a form of violence against the community. We also condemn the use of violence by the police in response to the protests of the frustrated community. This is an inhumane response by the State to the understandable rage of citizens whose pleas for a regular supply of clean water have gone unheard for too long,” says Moipone Jwayi the National Chair of the Inyanda National Land Movement.

“The Assembly of the Unemployed is very worried about the water crisis given the heatwave in the Free State. We are particularly concerned about the Tumahole people who are getting mud from their taps instead of water. Government isn’t worried about what is happening there and people are being arrested instead of government solving the real problem,” says Khokhoma Motsi from the Assembly of the Unemployed.

National Treasury’s austerity plans, which includes deep budget cuts for basic services, has left many municipalities without the resources to repair key infrastructure. “Austerity measures coupled with the lack of good governance, corruption, and deployment of persons without the required expertise to perform critical duties has plummeted municipalities into distress,” says Aaron Ranayeke from TCOE.

While there were and still are some Jojo tanks available in the area, these tanks are not regularly supplied with water and it can take up to four weeks for it to be replenished by the municipality. “Tumahole residents felt strongly that the Ngwathe Local Municipality is not only corrupt, but also lacks the capacity and expertise to provide water services,” adds Ranayeke.

“Given how essential water is to life and health, the State’s failure to deliver on its constitutional mandate to supply clean drinking water is a form of violence against the community. We also condemn the use of violence by the police in response to the protests of the frustrated community. This is an inhumane response by the State to the understandable rage of citizens whose pleas and demands for a regular supply of clean water have gone unheard for too long,” adds Jwayi.

The Local Government Municipal Structures Act of 1998, clarifies the role and responsibilities of district municipalities when a local municipality is unable to perform its constitutional functions. “The Fezile Dabi District Municipality, failed to intervene once it became evident that the Ngwathe Local Municipality was unable to resolve the water crisis. The Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act of 2005 deals with matters such as cooperative governance and Integrated Governance Relations for the implementation of protocols to facilitate integrated service delivery. If these two acts had been fully implemented this water crisis may have been averted. Therefore, both the Ministers of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs as well as the Department of Water and Sanitation equally failed the people of Tumahole,” explains Ranayeke.

The Inyanda National Land Movement and the Parys Water Crisis Coordinating Committee therefore demands that:

1. The Ngwathe Local Municipality acknowledges that they are incapable of providing water services.
2. The Fezile Dabi District Municipality performs its obligations as per the Municipal Structures Act of 1998 and takes over the water services which the Ngwathe Local Municipality is unable to provide.
3. The immediate release of those arrested for exercising their constitutional right to express their frustrations and health concerns about having no access to water.

Editor’s Note: At the time of going to print, the eleven protestors who had been arrested were released on free bail.

Ka Pherekgong 2023, setjhaba sa Tumahole se Parys Foreistata se ile sa ya diterateng ka boipelaetso le ho kwala sebaka kamora hore Mmasepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe a hloloe ho fana ka ditshebeletso tsa mantlha, ebile ele tsa bohlokwa, jwalo ka metsi.Batho ba leshome le motso o mong ba ile ba tshwarwa ka diqoso tsa pefo ya setjhaba.

Ditabeng tsa setjhaba tsa Inyanda le dikgatisong tsa Lwetse le Mphalane 2022, re hatisitse letoto la diatikele tse pedi tse neng di hlahloba kamoo bothata ba metsi bo neng bo ama baahi ba Tumahole kateng. Atikeleya pele letotong lena e ne e lemositse hore dikgohlano di hodimo lekeisheneng la Tumahole ka lebaka la tlokotsi ea metsi.Ditanka tsa Jojo di ne di hlaloswa e le ‘mekgabiso’ feela kaha di ne di sa tlatswe hangata.Ha baemedi ba Inyanda National Land Movement le Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE) ba kopana le setjhaba sa Tumahole, setjhaba se ile sa hlalosa hore bothata ba metsi esale bo qala ho tloha ka selemo sa 2009.

Ka la 6 Tshitwe 2022, Komiti ya Bohokahanyi ya Mathata a Metsi ya Parys e ile ya hlahisa dikopo tse potlakileng ho Mmasepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe mabapi le bothata ba metsi.Mmasepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe ha o wa ka wa etsa letho mabapi le ditlhoko tsena, kahoo ha ho makatse hore ebe tsietsi ena e se e eketsehile ka tsela eo e bileng ka yona.Kopanong ya setjhaba qalong ya selemo sena, ho ile ha nkuwa qeto ya ho ipelaetsa le ho kwala Tumahole e le ho leka ho hlokomedisa ka ‘Masepala ka bothata ba metsi le hore na bo amme boleng ba bophelo ba batho jwang.

Inyanda National Movement e eme mmoho le setjhaba bakeng sa ho sebedisa tokelo ya bona ya molao-theo ya ho ipelaetsa kaha kgaello ya metsi Parys ke tlolo ya molao wa motheo wa tokelo ya moahi ya ho fumana metsi.Empa nakong ya boipelaetso ba metsi le ho kwalwa, moaho wa masepala le ntlo ya’M’e wa ramotse di ile tsa tjheswa.Jwalo ka mokgatlo o se nang dikgoka, Inyanda National Land Movement e hanyetsana le pefo e senyang ditshebeletso tsa motheo ebile e le tshokelo ya bophelo.

“Ho latela kamoo metsi a leng bohlokwa kateng bophelong le bophelo bo botle, ho hloleha ha Mmuso hwa ho phethahatsa taelo ya wona ya molao-theo ya ho fana ka metsi a nowang a hlwekileng ke mofuta o mong wa pefo kgahlanong le setjhaba.Re boetse re nyatsa tshebediso ya dikgoka ke sepolesa ho arabeleng boipelaetso ba setjhaba se ferekaneng.Ena ke karabelo e se nang botho ya Mmuso ya kgalefo e utlwisisehang ya baahi bao dikopo tsa bona tsa phepelo ya kamehla ya metsi a hlwekileng di sa kang tsa utluwa ka nako e telele,” ho bolela Moipone Jwayi Modulasetulo wa Naha wa Inyanda National Land Movement.

“Seboka sa Batho ba Hlokang Mesebetsi se tshwenyehile haholo ka bothata ba metsi ka lebaka la leqhubu la motjheso le Foreisetata.Re tshwenyehile haholo ka batho ba Tumahole ba ntseng ba fumana seretse dipompong tsa bona ho fapana le metsi.Mmuso ha o tshwenyehe ka se etsahalang moo mme batho ba ya tshwarwa ho ena le hore mmuso o rarolle bothata ba nnete,” ho boletse Khokhoma Motsi wa Seboka sa Batho ba Hlokang Mosebetsi.

Merero ya tshireletseho ya Polokelo ya Ditjhelete tsa Naha, e kenyeletsang phokotso e tebileng ya ditjhelete bakeng sa ditshebeletso tsa mantlha, e siile bommasepala ba bangata ba se na disebediswa tsa ho lokisa meralo ya mantlha.Aaron Ranayeke wa TCOE o re, “Mehato ya bofokodi hammoho le kgaello ya puso e ntle, bobodu le ho romellwa ha batho ntle le tsebo e hlokahalang ya ho etsa mesebetsi e boima e kentse bo-mmasepala bothateng.”

Le hoja ho ne ho ntse ho ena le ditanka tsa Jojo tse fumanehang sebakeng seo, ditanka tsena ha difepelwe metsi kgafetsa mme ho ka nka dibeke tse nne hore di tlatswe ke mmasepala.“Baahi ba Tumahole ba ne ba utlwa ka matla hore Mmasepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe ha o na bobodu feela, empa o boetse o haellwa ke bokgoni le botsebi ba ho fana ka ditshebeletso tsa metsi,” Ranayeke a eketsa.

“Ho latela kamoo metsi a leng bohlokwa kateng bophelong le bophelong bo botle, ho hloleha ha Mmuso ho phethahatsa taelo ya wona ya molao-theo ya ho fana ka metsi a nowang a hlwekileng ke mofuta o mong wa pefo kgahlanong le setjhaba.Re boetse re nyatsa tshebediso ya dikgoka ke sepolesa ho arabela boipelaetso ba setjhaba se ferekaneng.Ena ke karabelo e se nang botho ya Naha kgalefong e utlwisisehang ya baahi bao dikopo tsa bona le ditlhoko tsa bona tsa phepelo ya kamehla ya metsi a hlwekileng di sa kang tsa utluwa ka nako e telele haholo,” Jwayi o wa eketsa.

Molao wa Dibopeho tsa Mmasepala wa Puso ya Dibaka le Borena wa 1998, o hlakisa karolo le boikarabelo ba bo-mmasepala ba setereke ha mmasepala wa lehae o sa kgone ho phetha mesebetsi ya wona ya molao-theo.“Mmasepala wa Setereke wa Fezile Dabi, o hlotswe ho kena dipakeng hang ha ho bonahala hore Mmasepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe o sitilwe ho rarolla bothata ba metsi.Molao wa Moralo wa Dikamano tse Kopanetsweng ke Mebuso wa 2005 o sebetsana le ditaba tse kang tsa puso ya kopanelo le Dikamano tse Kopanetsweng tsa Puso bakeng sa ho kenngwa tshebetsong ha diprothokholo ho nolofatsa phano ya ditshebeletso e kopanetsweng.Haeba melao ena e mmedi e kentswe tshebetsong ka botlalo bothata bona ba metsi bo ka be bo ile ba qojwa.Ka hona, Matona a mabedi a Lefapha la Kopanelo ya Puso le Merero ya Borena hammoho le Lefapha la Metsi le Tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere le bona ba hlotswe ka ho bobedi ho thusa batho ba Tumahole,” ho hlalosa Ranayeke.

Ka hona, Inyanda National Land Movement le Parys Water Coordinating Committee di kopa hore:

1. Mmasepala wa lehae wa Ngwathe o dumele hore ha ba na bokgoni ba ho fana ka ditshebeletso tsa metsi.
2. Mmasepala wa Setereke wa Fezile Dabi o phethe boitlamo ba ona ho ya ka Molao wa Dibopeho tsa Mmasepala wa 1998 mme o nka ditshebeletso tsa metsi tseo Masepala wa Lehae wa Ngwathe o sa kgoneng ho fana ka tsona.
3. Ho lokollwe ba tshwerweng ka lebaka la ho sebedisa tokelo ya bona ya molao-theo ya ho hlahisa pherekano ya bona le matshwenyeho a bona a bophelo bo botle mabapi le ho se fumane metsi hanghang.

Tsebiso ya Mohlophisi: Ka nako ya ho hatisa, baipelaetsi ba leshome le motso o mong ba neng ba tshwerwe ba ile ba lokollwa ka beile ya mahala.