LONGLANDS, Northern Cape — Residents of Longlands in the Northern Cape are intensifying their demands for a consistent and clean water supply from the Dikgatlong Local Municipality, escalating their protests after the area was left without water for two weeks.
The community’s frustration boiled over into a blockade of the R31 highway as residents demanded immediate and reliable service delivery. According to local residents, the inconsistent water supply is not a new phenomenon, with some streets reportedly going without municipal water for years. One resident highlighted that their home, located on the last street of the area, has been without a direct water connection for five years.
Community members expressed deep dissatisfaction with the reliance on municipal water tankers, noting that the alternative supply has occasionally caused health issues, including diarrhea. Elderly residents, in particular, voiced their struggles, explaining that they are forced to wait with empty buckets and pay others to fetch water on their behalf due to their inability to carry heavy loads.
Despite the community raising these concerns on a dedicated local Facebook page, residents claim the municipality has remained unresponsive. With local elections approaching, the community emphasized that they are being asked to vote despite a prolonged absence of basic service delivery from the Dikgatlong Municipality.
In response to the crisis, the Dikgatlong Municipality acknowledged the ongoing challenges and outlined both temporary and long-term measures. A municipal representative explained that the recent outage was exacerbated by winter maintenance implemented by the Vaal Central Water Board on August 17 and 18, 2026. This maintenance, coupled with already low water levels in the reservoir, significantly affected the Longlands area, though the municipality noted that the outage did not impact the entire region.
As a temporary measure, the municipality has deployed water trucks to assist affected households. However, acknowledging that this is not a sustainable fix, municipal representatives detailed a long-term solution to upgrade the local reservoir and the bulk water pipeline in Delportshoop, which will ultimately cater to the Longlands area.
The municipality confirmed that funding for this critical bulk pipeline upgrade has already been secured. The project is scheduled to go out to tender at the end of October, marking a promised step toward resolving the chronic water supply issues that have plagued the Longlands community for years.