Water is becoming a scarce commodity in Bronkhorstspruit as tensions are brewing between two communities in Zithobeni.
Residents of the Zithobeni Heights, an informal settlement, have been without water as their tanks have not been filled by the municipality for nearly three weeks.
This forces them to go to a nearby formal settlement known as Marikana that has running water from some taps.
The settlements are divided by a gravel road with Marikana comprising mostly of RDP houses while Heights is made up of shacks.
A Marikana resident, who asked not to be named, said those with water had connected themselves to the grid at a fee.
"Now they want to come and get the water for free, it doesn't work like that," he said.
"They can make their own plans just like we did. Sometimes we get water cuts. Our water is not always available, so we have to use it wisely. If they want they can buy it from us."
Another resident of Marikana, Alamina Mbuyani, 43, said water was fast becoming a scarce commodity in the area.
Mbuyani said since RDP houses were built with taps and toilets in 2016 no house had water and those that do had to pay.
"If you don't have money you won't have water. Only a select few have and they had to pay about R400.
"We cannot afford that. You are lucky if your neighbour is kind enough to let you use their water, " she said.
An elderly couple from the Heights informal settlement, John Mahlangu, 83, and his wife Popi, 68, said they had to hire their neighbour to collect water for them.
