Pretoria Mother Uses Her Social Grant to Buy Water on the Street

Portia Mange says she has to buy water for her family on the street, at R5 for 20 litres.

Portia Mankge has to use her children’s social grants to buy water. There is a municipal water tank outside her home in Vergenoeg informal settlement in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, but it is always empty, she says. So the residents buy water from people who sell it illegally in the street, at R5 for 20 litres.

“I’m a single mother of four children and I don’t work,” says Mankge. “I started living here in 2016 and my life has always been very tough.”

The settlement, in the west of Pretoria, is also called Skielik. Residents say it was established in 2014.

When GroundUp visited last month, there were water tanks on many streets but none seemed to have water.

Resident Caroline Mmotla told GroundUp that she often begs for water from those residents who illegal pipe connections to their yards. Sometimes she has to buy water.

Innocent Makhado said he is tired of buying or begging for water from other residents. He does not have a wheelbarrow and struggles to carry water containers around.

“We always have little water in my family and it is difficult for us to cook and wash clothes,” said Makhado.

“The municipality must fill these tanks in our streets with water because it has failed to install water taps in our yards and supply us with water.”

Only part of the settlement has electricity.

Mmotla, a third year law student, uses an illegal electricity connection to study.

“I write my assignments and the exams online here at home, but illegal electricity often trips,” said Mmotla.

“People from the municipality came here some years ago and promised to electrify our area, but never came back,” she said.

GroundUp sent questions to the City of Tshwane’s media team and its spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, on 22 November 2024. The media team responded on 28 November, saying they were waiting for “feedback from the relevant department”.

In spite of several follow-up calls, including one on 2 December, GroundUp has not been able to get a response.

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