Death by water tanker: The tragic cost of SA crisis

Folweni residents collect water supplied by a water tanker, illustrating the lengths residents must go to secure this essential resource.

The tragic death of Celani Zungu, who was fatally struck by a municipal water tanker in Adams Mission, Durban on Sunday, has ignited a debate regarding the human cost of South Africa’s water crisis.

Others have also died over water. In 2024, a father of three died while collecting water from a borehole in Verulam.

For years, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has probed the country’s water crises in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

In parts of the country, residents rely on water tankers or buy water.