Rehoboth residents are not happy with the town council's introduction of prepaid water metres without first engaging with residents.

Some residents claim that since 2015, they have been using public taps with no other service offered, such as ablution facilities.

Other issues include services being provided without communication with the residents, tenders given to outsiders, and high charges for water despite low wages. 

The residents say they elected the leaders knowing they knew their struggles.

"The one thing I will say is that if the town council ought to make any changes, it should notify its residents. Single mothers work alone and take care of the kids alone, and when they compare how much they are required to pay by the town council for their water to be connected and how much income they make, it becomes an issue of choice between buying food and paying for water," said Rehoboth resident Else Garises.

Elizabeth van Wyk said the Council removed her postpaid water and installed a prepaid metre in her house, then later removed it to replace it with postpaid water without notifying her.

"This water was later disconnected, and when I came to the office to inquire, it was the only time I was offered a choice of a contract. The councillors we elect are doing these things to us."

The CEO of Rehoboth, Ronald Windswaai, promised to resolve the raised issues to better the lives of the community.

"We apologise for the treatment you have received, and we are working on fixing it. We always say the customer is always right because you, as customers, aren't standing behind the counter; we are. I am the one who needs to explain to you what's going on, but we are working on treating our clients better, and we are trying our best to stop it from happening again."