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Matzikama municipality | A place of brown water and no electricity Ntandoyenkosi… Sun, 12/07/2025 - 12:30 MATZIKAMA - The Matzikama Municipality says brown water coming out of taps is safe to drink. But residents say it tastes bad and has a foul smell.Several towns have been getting dirty water, while Vanrhynsdorp has been left without any. The community has been protesting outside the municipal offices, demanding better services.Matzikama ironically means place of water. But it s been a place of no water or dirty water for residents recently. The Namaqualand municipality blames ailing infrastructure, droughts, and limited water storage facilities.Residents lament that they have no other choice than to drink the dirty water as it is, even though it has a foul smell. We currently have an issue with blocking of the electricity and the unclear of water…so, even when the water comes through its dirty you can cook it but it’s not guaranteed that you will be okay if you drink it. Frustrated residents took over the council chambers, demanding a meeting with the mayor. But tempers flared when Mayor Johan van der Hoven failed to commit to their demands. He refused to be interviewed.Adding to the residents frustrations, last month the municipality blocked electricity. It says that of the 17 towns, 10 of them aren’t paying for their electricity. It has since introduced prepaid meter boxes to recoup funds. All we’re asking is because we are paying for elect it’s not that we are not paying. They are not going to give out free electricity. All we are asking is to unblock our electricity.”A meeting has been arranged for next week Monday for residents to again meet with municipal officials.

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