The struggle for water: The river (Umngeni) we have lost to the dam (Inanda)

abstract This perspective is a personal account of how life in rural communities along the Umngeni river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has changed over the past few decades due to the ‘development’ of and around the Inanda Dam. The author draws from experiences of women of three rural areas affected by the development of the dam—Maqadini, KwaNgcolosi and Maphephetheni—and investigates what this has meant for access to clean water in these communities. Moreover, this perspective reviews the importance of people-centred development and how this strategy can support women in using their local knowledge for the development of their communities.