MBOMBELA - Water shortages are emerging as a key election issue in Mbombela, where residents of Msogwaba say unreliable supply is disrupting their daily lives, affecting schools and leaving vulnerable households struggling to access this basic service.
With the November 4 local government elections approaching, mayoral candidates from ActionSA, the EFF and the ANC are putting forward competing solutions to the crisis.
Residents say they need more than campaign promises, calling for reliable water access and an end to the ongoing disruptions.
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ActionSA’s Gugu Thwala says the party would prioritise repairing pipes and restoring reliable tap water, while the EFF’s Godrich Gardee has pledged to end privatisation and remove intermediaries in service delivery.
The ANC’s Candith Mashego Dlamini says rapid population growth and new developments in areas where pipelines cannot easily reach have complicated water provision, with tankers being used to supply some communities.
As parties make their final push for votes, residents will be looking for concrete solutions to Mbombela’s persistent water challenges.
- eNCA's Naomi Kobbie reports.