Thaba-Patchoa, a small town in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District Municipality in the Free State, has been waterless for more than a week to date. This, despite the recent recurrent flooding making access into and out of the town almost impossible. Some of the residents tell OFM News that many of the town's bridges and roads are fully submerged making navigation around town a daunting task.

DA Councillor Tania Halse tells OFM News that the lack of sufficient stormwater drainage, has resulted in many homes in both the informal and formal settlements being flooded.

“Sewage leaks are so bad that they actually back up into people’s houses - so much so that the sewage starts coming out of the toilet... It’s so badly backed up,“ adds Halse.

OFM News awaits a response from the Mantsopa Municipality.

"At present, Thaba Patchoa is one of the towns without water. There are formal settlements that still don’t have running tap water or toilets. The pump is broken or missing and the residents are just there,” Halse said.

In addition, residents say that the dam is continually overflowing, which leads to further flooding as the clogged water pump is unable to pump such large amounts of water.

Many residents have had to resolve to collect water by using buckets.

OFM News/Shirndré-Lee Simmons