It is about time the Cape Town government in South Africa comes to the aid of hundreds of families who are lacking water for their daily needs.

Development Diaries reports that there is just a single water tap available to hundreds of people in the Macassar informal settlement of Nyakathisa, Cape Town.

It is understood that the informal settlement is made up of approximately 2,000 people, including children.

A report by GroundUp reveals that residents in the settlement, which houses over 450 families, have to queue for hours to fill their water bottles and buckets, and sometimes the water is just a trickle.

More disheartening is the fact that this has been the case for more than two years, as complaints made by residents to the City of Cape Town government have been ignored.

The Cape Town government has a moral and legal obligation to provide tap water for these families because access to clean and safe drinking water is a fundamental human right recognised by the United Nations, and also providing water aligns with the government’s duty to ensure public health and safety.

Denying these families access to tap water is a violation of their basic human right; and by neglecting to provide tap water infrastructure, the government is failing to fulfil its responsibility to protect the well-being of its citizens.

We must also not forget that access to clean water is foundational for economic activities, education, and social participation.

Without tap water, residents may be forced to spend significant time and resources obtaining water from distant sources, limiting their ability to engage in productive activities or attend school.

Development Diaries calls on the Cape Town government to fulfil its legal obligation to provide tap water for these families to ensure public health and safety.

Photo source: GroundUp