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Writer's pictureThe Red Wheelbarrow Poetry

There is No Water in Makhanda

THERE IS NO WATER IN MAKHANDA

Kris Marais

23rd February 2021


there is no water in Makhanda -

children are going to school unwashed

cisterns cannot be flushed or animals

watered, dishes cleaned, clothing washed

Or food cooked-

Six days-

Ten days-

Two weeks-


its a manmade disaster, but who is to blame?



a senior official-

a house cat with milk and feathers

ringing its cheeks and whiskers lied

‘we tried but we couldn’t win’


the high court dismissed municipal management

but they appealed, even though there is

no engineer, maintenance, or fiduciary oversight-


‘There’s no money, due to remuneration’

He stated again, and

‘Those townspeople, they have no right to complain

Indeed, they must be compliant’


At 10 pm the municipality sent a truck with water


but the water didn’t smell right. They couldn’t drink it.


23rd February 2021

©Kris Marais

Featured on 22 April 2021



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