Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has confirmed that its staff members were threatened by the so-called “water mafia” on Sunday, 15 June 2025, while distributing free water to communities affected by severe flooding. The floods have already claimed at least 90 lives and displaced scores of residents.
Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive show, Gift of the Givers’ Ali Sablay detailed the organisation’s relief efforts on the ground.
“We have handed out hot meals, hygiene packs, clean drinking water, blankets, and mattresses. When the floods hit, it wiped out the whole Butterworth Water Treatment plant, which is located in the town of Butterworth, in the Eastern Cape, damaging key infrastructure in the process,” said Sablay.
Addressing the intimidation his team faced, Sablay explained that staff were approached by individuals linked to the water mafia.
“There is no water at the clinics and hospitals – the South Africa Police Services (SAPS) contacted us, saying none of the police stations have water. We then received an official request for water, and while our teams were filling up at the water treatment plant, an unmarked black Fortuner pulled up beside our drivers, threatening them to leave as they are mandated to give water to the people,” explained Sablay.
Photo: Gift of the Givers/Facebook
