Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo has expressed frustration and disappointment over the ongoing vandalism of water infrastructure in the Eastern Cape, warning that such acts are undermining efforts to deliver reliable water services to local communities.
Mahlobo explained that this damage has significantly complicated efforts to deliver services to local communities.
Mahlobo accompanied Deputy President Paul Mashatile on a visit to Qunu Village in Ward 19 on Thursday, 2 October 2025, where they inspected the Qunu Noyiya Water Scheme, as part of the Deputy President’s two-day programme to address service delivery challenges in the area.
The visit aimed to evaluate the community’s challenges, provide updates on water supply progress, and ensure that the newly constructed Qunu Reservoir would supply clean water to households in Qunu.
Mahlobo reported that the reservoir has been out of operation due to vandalism of two boreholes feeding into it.
"One of the boreholes has been fixed and it pumps 500 million litres per day (mgl/d) to the reservoir. Working together, the district and local municipalities and the Department of Water and Sanitation team have concluded that the main cause of the vandalism is a lack of security,” Mahlobo said.
The reservoir, which distributes 0.1 mgl/d to households, is now supplying water to the Qunu community.
Mahlobo added that the second borehole, located in Mqanduli Village, is still under repair, and is expected to be fully operational by 10 October 2025, to ensure the borehole becomes fully operational.
"The ongoing vandalism of water infrastructure is crippling service delivery and putting lives at risk. Nevertheless, efforts are being made through enhanced security in high-risk areas, public awareness campaigns, and collaboration with law enforcement,” Mahlobo said.
He further emphasised that lasting change would require collective action from both communities and government authorities to prevent further damage and ensure continuous supply of safe and sustainable water services,
Following the site inspection, Deputy President Mashatile and Mahlobo engaged with the residents to discuss the current state of water services and discussed solutions to improve supply and maintenance. – SAnews.gov.za
