PORT ELIZABETH - As a health precaution in light of Covid-19, the City of Cape Town said on Friday that it will temporarily suspend new water restrictions for those who are in arrears with their municipal accounts and facing debt management actions.
"This is an extraordinary decision taken during an extraordinary time," the city said in a statement.
But the city has urged customers to "accept this temporary action in good faith and to continue to use water sparingly and only for health and hygiene purposes".
It called on customers to continue to pay for services for the city to remain "financially healthy", which would in turn mean that it would be able to continue to provide the necessary services, especially during the crisis.
"A careful balance is needed as it can be reasonably expected the city’s finances could become strained as measures are implemented to help manage the crisis.
"Customers should also remain mindful of water consumption during Cape Town’s drought conditions and continued rainfall unpredictability while ensuring appropriate personal hygiene measures are adhered to," the city said.
"The city will communicate further as more interventions and decisions are taken."
The city also said that it had made available numerous resources to the public on Covid-19, including:
The NICD Hotline on 0800 029 999, which operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. - www.nicd.ac.za
The Western Cape Provincial Government Hotline, 021 928 4102 - https://www.westerncape.gov.za/dept/health
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
WhatsApp - 0600 123 456