Where’s the Plan to End Devastating Shut-Offs?

Dear Editor

The DA has requested Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water to hold special sittings for Gauteng’s Water entities and its Municipal leaders to appear and account to the national legislature for the gross and unacceptable failures leading to mass water shut-offs across large parts of the province.

The DA is deeply concerned about these water shut-offs and the lack of action from Gauteng’s water entities and municipalities.

The problem Gauteng faces is a combination of pressing issues, including:

1. Failing bulk infrastructure, that interrupts supply and allows millions of litres to be lost;
2. Billing and payment issues, meaning that enormous debt is being built up at both municipal level and within the water entities themselves;
3. Lack of skills and competence, where unskilled cadres have been put in office to replace skilled engineers; and
4. No modernisation of water treatment and supply systems, because there is neither the budget nor political will.

It is now time for these serious issues to be addressed by Gauteng’s water entities and municipalities, and for them to account to Parliament as this crisis cannot continue.

The announcement this week by Rand Water of reservoir levels dropping by almost 35% in the last month is alarming, and demands immediate action. It is clear that urgent interventions are needed to prevent the complete collapse of the water supply system.

Rand Water is currently pumping at full capacity, which is unsustainable given high temperatures and excessive leakages.

Communities in Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark, Sasolburg, Yeoville, Benoni, and several municipalities, including Emfuleni, Metsimaholo, Ngwathe, Rustenburg, Royal Bafokeng, Rand West, Merafong, Mogale City, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni, are already facing severe water outages. This shows that the crisis extends well out of Gauteng too.

Once Gauteng’s water entities and municipalities appear and present their plans, the DA will call on Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, to take the lead in holding them to account.

What South Africa needs is for the Minister to actively oversee plans to improve water supply infrastructure, reduce leaks, impose consequences for municipalities that fail to meet their obligations and show progress towards resolving water supply issues.

Water is a basic human right, and residents deserve a reliable and sustainable supply.

The DA will continue to hold the government accountable in ensuring that the water crisis in Gauteng is addressed with the urgency it requires.

Regards

Stephen Moore MP
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Water & Sanitation