Residents of Extension 3 in Coligny near Lichtenburg in the North West say they have not had a drop of water in three years. Though there are taps in the township, residents have to walk far from their area to fetch water or resort to buying some litres.

The residents say lack of water provision is not only impacting on their daily use of water, but also affects their health. They say Ngaka Modiri Molema District has been promising to resolve the water crisis but years later, their taps are still dry.

Tebogo Seleke has to walk a long distance to access water in order to take her chronic medication.

“We’re struggling with water. We get water from some Indians, four or from Scotland. Even when I take medication, I have to ask for water from next door. It’s painful because we have to walk very far to fetch water,” says Seleke.

Her family is concerned about her deteriorating health.

“My mother is asthmatic. She has to push a trolley carrying six 25 litre water containers. She now has to take her medication, but there’s no water. There’s no life without water,” says Masego Seleke, Daughter.

Residents say they also have to pay for water.

“We have to find people who will get us water. People we send to get water for us, they charge us R5 per bucket, imagine if you don’t have money at all. It becomes a disaster, and you cannot go there yourself because we are weak,” a residents says.

“They say we must go get water at a tank next to the farm. We buy water from Scotland when you have four buckets its R20 six buckets its R30. These people, they don’t do their jobs. We voted for them, but they can’t commit to their promises,” says another residents.

Meanwhile, other parts of Coligny had no water for the past six weeks.

Residents then opted to go to the road and protest.

SABC News sent an inquiry to the municipality about the plight of Extension 3 residents who have went three years without water. However, in his response to the SABC, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Mayor only responded to Coligny’s recent water crisis.

“We want to indicate that in Coligny, which is a stone throw away from Lichtenburg, we’ve got about 22 boreholes, 16 are operational, six are not operational. They require high lift pumps which were ordered, but because of the supplier closing seasons, we could not get them. The municipal manager has advised me that they have since arrived and they are en route to Ditsobotla. If the roads are clear or our staff is given access, they should be working on them,” says Khumalo Molefe, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality Mayor.

It is unclear when will the taps in Extension 3 start working.

Video: Coligny Water Woes – Some residents have not had tap water for years