No Plan for Gauteng Water Crisis

Statement by Stephen Moore MP – DA Spokesperson for Water and Sanitation:

A week ago, responding to a water crisis years in the making, the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Minister of Cooperative Governance descended upon Gauteng to brief the public on interventions.

There have been no concrete interventions since. As it stands, they would rather leave residents and business in the dark, distressed about their future than be accountable and responsive. To serve South Africans and be paid to do so is a tremendous honour – not an entitlement.

What we instead see is “water shifting”, where some residents have their constitutional right to water over certain periods, while other residents do not.

In one of the worst water crises Gauteng has seen, it is insulting and shameful that residents and businesses must make do with hot air.

Following the President’s announcement, as there has been communication, we can only assume that the Deputy President’s Water Task Team will transition to the President’s National Water Crisis Team. We also do not know when the President’s Water Crisis Team will be constituted or how it will operate. The Department of Water and Sanitation cannot simply “deploy” technicians when it itself faces a high vacancy rate for technicians and engineers.

The DA cannot and will not accept that days later, still no information has been provided on Water Shifting schedules; pipes and infrastructure being “repaired rapidly”; tanker placements; and vital information about daily supply and demand status.

Minister Majodina must also step up and demand more transparency from Rand Water. She is legally entitled. Her department must also temporarily allow Rand Water to pump more water from the Vaal Dam.

Having announced court action to force the City of Johannesburg to action plans passed by Council two years ago, the DA will not stand idly by as Gauteng residents are treated inhumanely.

Emergency plans must be announced and rolled out or we will force action.