Communities in the Free State are living through a daily water crisis - dry taps, contaminated rivers, and sewage flowing through neighbourhoods.
On 14 October 2025, WaterCAN held a community water training and testing workshop in the Free State to help citizens take back control through science, data, and collective action.
The training, co-led by WaterCAN Campaigns Coordinator Nhlanhla Sibisi and Citizen Science & Training Coordinator Nomsa Daele, brought together community activists from Maluti-A-Phofung, Dihlabeng, Matjhabeng, and Nketoana - municipalities that have endured years of water shedding, ageing infrastructure, and government inaction.
“Communities shouldn’t have to collect drinking water next to sewage,” said Nomsa Daele.
“Citizen science gives people the power to prove what’s happening - to test the water, document pollution, and demand change with facts.”
Participants reported sewage spills contaminating rivers, unmaintained treatment plants, acid mine drainage threatening farms, and water tankers delivering unsafe water.
These failures, they said, are stripping communities of health, dignity, and livelihoods.
“Water is not a privilege - it’s a constitutional right,” said Nhlanhla Sibisi.
“When government fails, citizens must step in - and WaterCAN equips them with the tools to do just that.”
The Free State training is part of WaterCAN’s national campaign to build a network of citizen scientists who monitor, test, and expose water failures.
“Science gives our communities credibility,” Daele added.
“If you can show the evidence, you can force accountability.”
WaterCAN will continue to provide training, water-testing kits, and advocacy support as Free State communities fight for clean, reliable water and for the justice that should flow with it.
According to Makhotla Sefudi, a local water activist in the Free State, the training is "an essential and empowering platform for communities to reclaim their collective power and strengthen their voices in the fight for clean, safe water".
"It enables us to understand our rights, gather credible evidence, and demand accountability from those in power — ensuring that access to water and environmental justice are realised for every person,” said Sefudi.
Thank you to our partners who joined us:
1. Justice and Peace Commission
2. Thlolong Advice Centre
3. Environmental Care Organisation
4. Gubico
5. Anti Fracking Lobby
6. South African council for the blind
