Residents of Gauteng, a settlement in Tsumkwe, say they are forced to beg for water from neighbours as those who have connected water pipes to the communal taps allegedly refuse to share the facilities that would grant them access to water. 

The residents from Gauteng expressed their concerns over what they describe as a persistent water crisis. 

Out of over thirty households, only about three have water taps installed, leaving the rest to beg for water. 

Emma Mutjongo shared her experience and called on authorities to address their plight. "I am really asking for help from Mr Masheshe to help us with water in our location. I recall last year we had a meeting, and I raised this issue with him, but up to today, nothing has changed. We are collecting water in people's yards, and they are not happy with it and say they pay for that water. We don't want to keep on collecting water in people's yards. What if they turn violent one day because they are now tired of us?"

According to Mutjongo, some residents remove their taps or cover up their pipes to deter them from collecting water, and they are now forced to walk long distances to collect it.

Another resident, Sabina Riem, called on the settlement office to install more community taps. 

She argued that it is unjust for some households to have access to water while others remain in the wild. 

"We are not happy that some households have access to water, and we don't. The settlement committee must at least install for us taps that we can share; this thing of some households having water and others not disadvantages us. We are really suffering in this location."

When contacted for comment, the Chief Control Officer at the Tsumkwe Settlement Office, Likoro Masheshe, said his office is aware of the water challenge, and they will temporarily set up a community tap for the affected residents. 

When asked about the tunnels that have been dug up around the settlement for water pipe installations since February of this year, Masheshe declined to comment.