Humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers has come to the rescue and is assisting those affected by the floods in the Eastern Cape. This is after storms killed 90 people in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and left over 2,600 homeless across four provinces. However, the ‘water mafia’ linked to municipal service providers has threatened Gift of the Givers workers giving free water to Eastern Cape flood victims.
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Founder and chairman of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, said members of the ‘water mafia’ have been trying to intimidate its drivers while delivering life-saving water to the people of Mthatha. “This kind of heinous behaviour has to stop,” he said. “Profiteering from the hardships of people has to stop. We hope we are provided support in all areas where the water mafia is capitalising.”
Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, condemned the threats. “It is alleged that members of a so-called ‘water mafia’ reportedly linked to service providers contracted by the OR Tambo District Municipality, threatened Gift of the Givers staff as they distributed clean drinking water to residents impacted by the recent floods,” Mchunu said. Police have been deployed to protect the property of the deceased. “Gift of the Givers has consistently been a source of hope and dignity to South Africans in their hour of need. Any attack on them is an attack on the very principle of ubuntu,” Mchunu said. “The threats against aid workers are just one example of criminals targeting flood victims.” He said that police have been made aware of individuals targeting the homes of people who died in the floods to steal from them.
Bongi Sikelo 