We, the residents of Haywood Road, Crawford, would like to appeal to the media and ordinary members of the public to respect our privacy and to allow us to continue our day-to-day activities without being harassed.
Since the City of Cape Town released the list of the top water consumers in the municipality, neighbours have been targeted randomly – either by members of the public, social media users or news reporters.
Photographs have been taken of innocent neighbours’ properties, reporters have been loitering, and speculation has been doing the rounds on social media platforms.
The situation has become intolerable.
The following information has been provided by the owner of the property concerned:
● It was discovered that something was amiss in January 2017 when the municipal bill was received.
● A professional was called in to investigate.
● An underground leak was detected,
● The matter was reported to the City of Cape Town immediately (January 2017).
● The City of Cape Town communicated to the owner that they are not responsible for the fixing of leaks.
● The leak was fixed immediately (January 2017) by a private contractor.
● All information pertaining to the bill was supplied to the City of Cape Town upfront, and the correct process was followed.
● The matter pertaining to the bill is currently being resolved amicably between the owner of the property and the City of Cape Town.
● The owner can confirm that normal water usage has resumed, and this is expected to be reflected on future bills.
The owner wishes not to be identified.
However, the owner is prepared to say the following: “I did not intend for this matter to escalate to the extent that it has in the media and on social media. I would like to stress that my family and myself have done our utmost to conserve water during Cape Town’s drought.
"We are conscious of the situation and have been, for example, neglecting our garden, which has been our pride and joy for the number of years we have been living in the area. Our property is well maintained, and this is the first time a leak has been detected.”
Neighbourhood spokesperson Saleem Gamza also strongly urged all members of the public and the media to allow the process with the City of Cape Town to take its course and to respect neighbours’ privacy.
He has stressed that the identity of the household concerned is unknown to the neighbourhood, aside from one or two neighbours who have been offering assistance.
“Neither the person concerned nor the neighbourhood sought to sensationalise this matter. Those concerned would like the matter to be resolved through the correct channels.”
No further comment will be provided to anyone.