Joy was written on the faces of water-starved villagers near Mthatha on Wednesday when clean water came out their taps for the first time in decades.
In 2013, residents of Ntilini village in Lower Xhongora told the Dispatch that the last time the communal taps gave water was before the dawn of democracy.
Those who could not travel the long distances needed had no option but to drink dirty, foul-smelling water from a donga nearby, which they had to boil before consuming.
The years of suffering were put behind them when OR Tambo district mayor Thokozile Sokanyile officially opened the 10 piped water taps installed on Wednesday.
Sokanyile apologised to villagers for the municipality’s failure to address their water challenges sooner, and praised them for their patience.
“In other places, we have seen how the anger of the people can quickly spiral out of control.
“We are not doing this as a way of asking for votes but to help people, especially during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Sokanyile said.
Villager Nopasika Gqwetha, who had the honour of sampling the first glass of piped water alongside Sokanyile, said they were thrilled that their days of suffering were over.
“It really does taste very nice, unlike the water from the donga which we had to boil first before drinking.
“To make matters worse, people dumped used diapers in that water, and others did their washing in it.
“But because we had no other choice, we had to drink it.”
She said many people had suffered from diarrhoea, and in one of the neighbouring villages there was once a cholera outbreak.
Even animals drank the same water.
