No water for the poor - 20th April 2022

This is Cape Town, South Africa. Four years ago, there was a drought. There was very little water. Today, rich people's swimming pools are full.

But this isn't the same for Khayelitsha. It's a poor area in Cape Town. The people there have very little water.

Shadrak Mogress says the situation is really bad.

Shadrack Mogress: "But it is actually worse than that. Because we do have water and we know that. We do have water. But it happens worst that it happened when there was a drought."

The city built toilets in Khayelitsha. These are the only places with water.

Sandile Zatu has to get water everyday.

Sandile Zatu: "We have no choice but to wake up in the morning and try to fill your bucket as much as you can."

South Africa has a big problem with poverty and racism.

Cape Town city gave water to the poor communities during Covid. But this stopped. And Khayelitsha's population is growing.

Zahid Badroodien says it's difficult to give the new people water.

Zahid Badroodien: "During the period of Covid 19, at least 17 new illegal informal settlements have been erected across our city, in the space of a few months, seventeen new illegal informal settlements. And the city then, is expected to provide basic services to those settlements, which is difficult to do."

But the population is always growing. There'll be more droughts in the future too.

Jo Barnes says that poor planning is the main problem.

Jo Barnes: "Part of that is outside the control of the city but this has been going on for the last 30 years and I've actually seen very little forward planning to cope with these people. It seems to me, and I hope I'm not attributing something to them, but it seems to me as if they thought if they just leave it alone and let them settle where they were, and it is unpleasant, that they will go back."