Makhanda water crisis continues to plague Rhodes University students

Makhanda

Makhanda — The town of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) has been blighted by a water crisis for several years, with many students at Rhodes University affected by the crisis.

Many students have been forced to live in dire and unhygienic conditions due to the water issues in Makhanda. The Makana municipality has currently rationed water to 50 litres per day per person, which has been in place since 2019, which affects many people across the town, The Citizen reported.

However, it is the students that have faced the brunt of the crisis. One student, Nonny Beale, said she recalled faeces coming out of the drains due to a sewerage problem.

“In my first week at Rhodes, I was living in res, and we did not have water for two days. When the water came back, all the pipes were blocked, and all the waste came back up and flooded our res,” she said.

Another student said she had found menstrual blood in the shower, which makes collecting water more difficult, while another student said it was common for students to bathe in basins as they have to use the little available water.

“It slows everything down. You have to wake up at 5 in the morning to get water from the tank outside your res,” she said, adding that laundry is also a difficulty.

Ward 2 Councillor in Makhanda, Rumseel Mpumzi Xonxo, said ageing infrastructure was a challenge as there are many leaks.

“Two officials have been deployed to Makana Municipality, one of whom is an engineer, to assist in this issue,” he said.

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At the end of August 2024, Rhodes University temporarily suspended its academic programme as Makhanda endured a weeklong water outage, with allegations that the water system was sabotaged as part of an illegal strike, Daily Maverick reported.

It was reported that 97 000 people have been affected by the water issues and the provincial government has been trying to implement some form of a rescue plan, with little success so far.

The campus was without water for a full week and water was provided through tankers to supply kitchens, residences and academic buildings.

“Despite all these efforts, individual hygiene, health and study conditions are affected and are increasingly at risk. Access to water and sanitation is an internationally recognised human right linked to an acceptable standard of living,” the university said at the time.

“The situation in Makhanda has begun to reflect an apparent disregard for our students and staff’s dignity, well-being, and rights. The university has escalated this matter to the Office of the Provincial Premier, Mr Oscar Mabuyane,” the statement reads. Mabuyane is in China at the moment.

There are positive signs ahead for Makhanda as the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, handed over the James Kleynhans Water Supply Project in Makhanda, which would help address the water supply challenges of the area.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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