A dispute between a community property association group and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), formerly Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa) in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, left students without water on Thursday and Friday.
According to Thapelo Diale, one of the leaders of the Leokeng Communal Property Association (CPA), the SMU has dug its water infrastructure on land owned by the community property group.
Diale said the university promised CPA that it will provide the community with water infrastructure so that the community association group can have water as well.
He said the university has failed to deliver on the promise. This despite digging their water infrastructure on land being owned by the CPA.
The failure to deliver this promise led to students being without water on Thursday and for the better part of Friday.
University water pipe burst
Diale said on Thursday morning around 2.30am, the university’s water pipe burst. This led to a water outage on the university’s Ga-Rankuwa campus.
Diale said the community association prevented the university from accessing their land to fix the burst water pipe. This was because it failed to fulfil its promise of supplying the community with water infrastructure.
This impasse led to the Ga-Rankuwa campus not having water. Following this, the students on the campus staged a protest on Friday morning, said Diale. He added that the protest was quelled by police around 11am.
Water was restored later in the day, he said.
Shortly thereafter, Diale said members of the CPA held a virtual meeting with some of the SMU management. The meeting was to discuss the university’s promise to supply the community with water.
Dispute resolution
In the virtual meeting held on Friday around 3pm, which Sunday World is privy to, the deputy vice-chancellor of SMU, responsible for operations, Dr Eminos Manyawi, asked the CPA to give the university access to its communal land to fix the burst pipe.
The CPA members agreed that they will give the university access to its land to fix the burst pipe.
Both parties agreed that both parties should have a physical meeting on Tuesday. This to discuss collaborative efforts between the CPA and the university.
Diale said Bakgatla ba Leokeng are holders of a legitimate title deed on the land.
He said a portion of this land (portion 216) has been illegally dug up by SMU to provide their water infrastructure.
“We just want the university to provide us with water infrastructure. We are not asking for free water. And we will pay for our own water. It is not correct that they invest nothing in the community they are in,” said Diale.
Land ownership
“Our land ownership is recognised by The Department of Land Reform and Rural Development under the Communal Property Association Act.
“We are the rightful owners of this land. The university has dug its water infrastructure on our land but the refuse to provide us with water infrastructure. Even when the university’s staff and students derive benefit from an asset that is not theirs,” said Diale.
Sunday World visited the SMU Ga-Rankuwa campus on Friday afternoon around 2pm. The scene was quiet with no protest and no sign of police visibility.
Staff and students were entering the campus gates freely, without any hinderance.
Diale said the land that the university was built on was legally purchased by the group’s forebearers.
“The apartheid government forcibly took this land to build Medunsa. With the dawn of democracy, the land claims process settled that dispute. It awarded descendants of original owners the piece of land between the eastern border of SMU and M17.
“Over two hectares of the plot lies across the road and is between Molotlegi Street and the railway line. This piece of land is jointly called Portion 216. A portion of this land has been illegally dug up by SMU, to provide their water infrastructure. This has left a huge crater upon which nothing can be built,” said Diale.
