The water woes of Tsolamosese

In the evenings when workers arrive from work and line-up to fetch water, the standpipes become pseudo-community centres where gossip and bickering are commonplace.  Here there is no rich or poor, old or young. Enemies find that they cannot avoid one another. Sometimes people realise too late that in their eagerness to get water, they have been brushing against their enemies!

They wait their turn in queues spanning over 20m with buckets or containers on their heads. Those with wheelbarrows maximise the opportunity and load up to 100 litres. These are mainly strong-bodied young men and women. Children as young as 10 years push wheelbarrows with 60 litres of water.