Burning tyres, rocks and fencing were used to barricade roads on Wednesday, 8 February, showing the frustration of residents of Tumahole and Schonkenville in Parys, and of surrounding areas.

Rocks were flung at a South African Police Service Nyala that was on guard, and one man was injured by a rubber bullet fired by the police during a confrontation between them and residents.

Police give chase to the protesters. Residents took to the streets during a service delivery protest in Tumahole township outside Parys, in the Free State. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)

The township and surrounding areas have not had clean running water for years. People watch for water coming from tankers or place buckets outside when it’s raining. When they do get water, residents claim it’s visibly dirty and makes them sick.

This shutdown of the area is the second in a few weeks, with the first taking place on 18 January. There were also protests in other parts of the Free State, including in Kroonstad and Ventersburg, where people had also been complaining in late January about water issues.

Protester and resident Freddy Nqaba said the last shutdown had very little effect, as there was minimal engagement and no direct plan from the mayor, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the local councillors. The last straw was leaders not attending a planned meeting on the evening of Tuesday, 7 February.

Police used rubber bullets in an attempt to disarm a protester of a hammer that he was caring. Residents took to the streets during a service delivery protest in Tumahole township outside Parys in the Free State on 8 February, 2023. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)

“We don’t have many demands. We used to get water in our taps. We don’t know what is blocked and where. But we need the ward councillors and mayors to speak to their officials at the water department. They should leave us out of their factional battles. We voted them in with trust and now we have to burn things for them to listen because they don’t attend meetings; they don’t speak to us,” said Nqaba.

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Last week, the executive mayor of Ngwathe Local Municipality, Victoria de Beer, said the municipality needed R66-million to fix the Parys water treatment plant.

She said the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs was yet to approve this, and they would reconvene on 15 February.

This came after the first shutdown, when the mayor’s mother’s house, a municipal building and 95 water tanks were burnt.

Residents claim the tanks are often empty. Municipal water tankers are supposed to fill them routinely.

Tomahole residents say water supplies in Parys and the surrounding areas have deteriorated over the past five years, the now have to wait to collect water with buckets and bottles at specific times of the day. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)

The tanks also run out of water before many residents can get water, and they are fertile ground for germs and dirt.

“If you are lucky enough to find the water still in the tank, then you will get dirty water. If you leave it to sit in a bucket for a bit, you will see the soot at the bottom of the bucket.

“We used to get water in taps maybe five years ago. Some areas such as Vuka have been without water for more than 10 years,” said protester Joyce Mphahlele.*

Tomahole residents say water supplies in Parys and the surrounding areas have deteriorated over the past five years, the now have to wait to collect water with buckets and bottles at specific times of the day. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)

“Feel my hands,” she said, opening her hands. Her palms were roughly calloused, which she said was from pushing a wheelbarrow for kilometres every day looking for a pipe, borehole or tank in her township that had water.

“This is a difficult life to live, and it affects everything. We have children. We have to keep the house clean, cook and drink water; there is no life without it… We haven’t had water in many years. When certain sections have it, the other doesn’t and we walk even 30 minutes to get some,” said Mphahlele.

Protesters said the shutdown would continue until officials put a plan on the table.

“We are not done. We will take action until we get water!” DM168

Residents on streets during a service delivery protest in Tumahole township outside Parys Free State on 8 Febrauary, 2023. (Photo: Leon Sadiki)

* This is not her real name, which she would not share for fear of reprisal.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R25.