Carolina could be one heavy downpour away from facing another water crisis and residents are already reluctant to use water they do not trust.
Carolina in Mpumalanga has become a test case for what is wrong with water governance in South Africa, writes Sipho Kings.
Residents say although the water is clear and tastes normal at first, it smells like bleach and leaves a sandy aftertaste. Sipho Kings reports.
People of Carolina had every right to go to court for the relief sought, irrespective of what others may have done in the past, says George Bizos.
The North Gauteng High Court’s decision in the Carolina matter is another instance of the courts having to push government to do its job.
Residents of a Carolina in Mpumalanga are taking the government to court after six months of waiting for their municipal water supply to be cleaned.
A court case opening on Tuesday is expected to expose the conflict within the South African government as it battles to balance the demands of mining expansion and environmental protection. Billions of rands are at stake as the government awards huge mining licences while it is accused of putting several animal species and ecosystems under threat.