Excessive use of question marks and exclamation marks are not usually part of my writing style. But they started popping in my head when I read the article on the front page of the Cape Times yesterday under the headline “Cape Town never water-rich again”.
Did Patricia de Lille really say “the reason the city still has water is because officials have been planning since 2015”??? Seriously??? And: “Over the next four weeks we will work tirelessly to bring online even more modular desalination and water reuse options.”
The dams are at 19.7%, of which 10% is not usable, and you're still busy making a plan? Is this supposed to make us think you're doing a good job, Patricia? It's simply bizarre. I feel like I'm in a weird move reading De Lille’s explanation in didactic tones about how we need to be aware of how long we shower for. This same tone, or should I say “drone”, along with a virtue signalling judgemental edge, is repeated on the radio, Facebook, media etc.
It's almost as though we, the citizens of Cape Town, are an irresponsible lot who should be wrapped on the knuckles for actually using water at all. How the heck did we get here in the first place when, for years, scientists have warned that Cape Town would become a drier place, that water shortages were imminent and that other measures should be put in place. They're “working tirelessly” now? As if we should be happy to hear that and they should be applauded for doing so!
Yes, we all know we have a crisis and yes, clearly we have to save water now and clearly those who don't are going to contribute towards putting us all in danger. But why are we allowing the DA to divert attention from their diabolical lack of planning and dire irresponsibility, by their finely tuned spin, designed to have us turn on each other? Let's save water, and demand accountability from those who are elected and paid to do their jobs, which perhaps includes making sure that we have enough water to live.