A 40 year- old resident of Thohoyandou Unit C Extension 2 under the Thulamela Municipality came out smoking, claiming that his constitutional rights have been trampled on, after the municipality disconnected his water supply and slapped him with a fine of R7 000 as a punishment for the destruction of a prepaid meter they allegedly installed in his yard without his consent.

Michael Munyai’s woes started after the installation of prepaid water meter in April by the municipality on his property, without prior consultation. He said he was surprised to find a prepaid meter installed in his yard and uprooted it as he felt offended as the owner of the site. "I felt my constitutional rights have been infringed as I was never consulted."

"I reinstalled the previous water system that I have been using since I moved in the house," he said. He said municipality officials came and closed his tap the same week and he has been without water ever since. "I am suffering as you can see my sewerage is stinking, toilets stinking and we are only surviving on dirty water from a nearby stream, which is contaminated, it is only a matter of time before we all get sick and I do not even have the money to can consult a doctor," he said.

Munyai said he was also worried by the fact that indigents are made to fill in forms indemnifying them of any payments but they were forced to pay an amount of R50 for service every month. "I feel we are being mistreated and being taken for a ride," he said.

The spokesperson for the Thulamela municipality, Mr Nndwamato Tshiila said the municipality is governed by the laws of the country. "We are not operating in a vacuum but we have to follow strict procedures in all we do," he said. In this case the complainant has contravened a section in the municipality´s rules and he is liable for a fine. Tshiila thanked members of the community who exposed the culprit and encouraged law abiding citizens to keep on exposing the lawbreakers He said the municipality has an open door policy and everybody who feels abridged should visit their offices.

"Our doors are opened and we welcome all suggestions from communities through our IDP meetings that we have,"he said. He invited Munyai to visit their offices at Thohoyandou where they will explain everything to him.