The community of Acton Homes outside Bergville has been without water since the close of 2022.
During the January heat wave, hundreds of homes pleaded uThukela to repair the damaged pump room and restore their water supply. These pleas from ground level to elected councillors seem to have fallen on deaf ears, as the IFP failed to even note the crisis.
After many weeks of begging and in sheer desperation, the community started barricading the R616 arterial road between Bergville and Ladysmith. This unfortunate situation forced hundreds of daily commuters to take the longer alternative route via Winterton.
The local Bergville farmers in the area decided that they would assist where the district government failed. Plans were hatched, equipment and supplies sourced, and after digging trenches and laying pipes, the community could rejoice as the water was restored.
The DA thanks these hard-working South Africans for stepping up and assisting each other during times of need. When a newly elected government like the IFP in uThukela decides to forget those who voted them into power, it’s a welcome relief to see that it is the spirit of Ubuntu in our people that will take South Africa forward.