14-05-2025
Ballengeich village residents left high and dry
Frustrated and desperate, a resident, who chose to remain anonymous reached out to the Newcastle Advertiser for help, expressing anger over the prolonged water crisis in Ballengeich Village.
'First we were told that Eskom was doing maintenance (which impacted the pumping of water) and then it was alleged a transformer had blown. Later, the story changed again; the water pump had been submerged during flooding,' residents claimed.
'Every time we asked when the water will return, we were just told, 'tomorrow,'' the resident said.
On March 14, a water tanker briefly visited the village, but it only remained for an hour. Most residents were unaware of its arrival, and those who did make it in time struggled to collect water—many are elderly and physically unable to carry water.
One man, who relies on an oxygen tank, couldn't even reach the mine gate where the water was being distributed.
Residents have been shuttled between the rental agency (which manages the remaining six houses), the village manager, and the new property owners, all in search of answers—with no success.
The issue dates back to February, shortly after Newcastle Calcium Carbide and Alloys (NCCA) purchased the property from Silicon Technologies (Siltech). According to residents, there had been a long-standing agreement with Siltech to supply water from the company's on-site treatment plant.
The plant owners, NCCA, stated the disruption was caused by 'a series of unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances' involving the site's electrical infrastructure. They explained that a flash in the transformer initially caused the outage, after which they opted to have Eskom perform upgrades that required a 10-day shutdown.
Water from Uthukela Water is first treated at the plant for industrial use and then distributed to a neighbouring coal farm and Ballengeich Village. NCCA says it intends to honour Siltech's original agreement to supply water and has taken steps to acquire a generator, which was expected to arrive by April 14.
However, Eskom confirmed that Silicon Technologies had formally requested the termination of the bulk electricity supply when the property changed hands. While the new owners have since submitted an application and completed the required paperwork for reconnection, Eskom said they received no response after requesting payment for the new account.
Mine Management Responds
In a written statement from mine management's legal representative, Phumelele Shabalala, the company expressed empathy for the residents' frustration but claimed the situation has been inaccurately portrayed.
They confirmed a meeting was held on April 15 between mine management, the property owners, and the rental agency to address allegations that residents were 'left high and dry.' The meeting also aimed to draft new Water Supply Agreements and assure residents that the plant is taking the matter seriously.
(Full statement available in the print edition of the Newcastle Advertiser)
Despite these assurances, Ballengeich Village remains without water.
'With winter approaching, we now fear the added danger of uncontrollable fires,' stated the resident.
The local municipality, which supplies emergency water via tankers, has been already stretched thin due to widespread outages across Newcastle recently—leaving children, the elderly, and families to fend for themselves.
No further communication has been received from the plant regarding the promised generator, leaving residents still in the dark.
For the complete story, pick up the latest edition of the Newcastle Advertiser.
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