Residents of Kokosi in Fochville, Gauteng could only scream and pray when a raging fire trapped a one-year-and-six-month-old baby girl in a shack.
They ran for buckets, basins and anything that could hold water. But every container came back empty as taps had been dry for months.
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Sadly, there was nothing anyone could do, and her tiny cries faded as the flames grew louder, leaving residents shattered.
This is because residents near Fochville have been living without clean water for five months. Many now fetch dirty water from roadside drains just to survive.
What was once called a “temporary issue” has exploded into a full-blown crisis, made worse after Rand Water reduced supply, citing Merafong City Municipality’s unpaid debt.
The baby girl’s death on Wednesday, 3 December sparked outrage, with residents blaming the municipality.
Speaking to Daily Sun, residents said they believe the death could have been prevented if the community had access to clean water.
Many residents said the blood of this innocent child is on the hands of those who failed to deliver the most basic service.
However, municipal spokesman Thabo Moloja previously told Daily Sun that the maspala is doing its best to restore water.
He appealed for calm and cooperation, saying residents must allow water tankers to deliver without obstruction.
He said a group of individuals blocked municipal water trucks in Kokosi on 4 November, disrupting delivery to schools and clinics. A case of intimidation has been opened with the police.
But for the people of Kokosi, these explanations mean little when their kids are dying and they’ve been living without water for months.
Their patience has run out, and their grief has turned into anger.
The Greater Fochville Water Crisis Committee said they will not stop until justice is served. They want accountability.
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They want answers. And they want to make sure no other kid dies because of a crisis created by failures far beyond the community’s control.
“A child is gone. Kokosi is broken. We will not rest until someone takes responsibility,” they said.
