THE DA in Limpopo has written to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) regarding shortages of water in Ephraim Mogale Municipality in the Sekhukhune District.
The water troubles come amid the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic causing havoc across the country.
According to a statement distributed by the party on Tuesday, MP and political head for the municipality Lindy Wilson stated that the party had petitioned the Chapter Nine institution to investigate the lack of access of water to Leeuwfontein, as well as in wards 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the local municipality.
SAHRC Limpopo chairperson Victor Mavhidula could not confirm that they had received the letter. However, Wilson confirmed that they had received the acknowledgement of receipt from the institution.
In the statement, Wilson said: “During an oversight visit to the municipality last week, the DA was both appalled and heartbroken at witnessing people trying to access water from holes in a ditch. The water was murky, possibly contaminated and surrounded by animal faeces and other rubbish.”
She blamed the ANC-led municipality for the shortages of water.
“For years, the ANC-run municipality has been unable to provide water for the residents in the majority of its wards. Residents in the area advise that they have not seen a water truck making deliveries of water for months, and when the truck does come, it only services a select few and often requests payment of R3 per drum from the poorest of the poor.”
She claimed that residents in the area were angry because of the municipality’s lack of prioritising them, because they needed water instead of a brand new stadium being built in the area.
“The residents here have had every last ounce of dignity taken from them. Digging holes to get water while keeping the cows and goats at bay, once again highlights that the ANC cares nothing for the very people who voted for them.”
She added that the party would further petition the Department of Water and Sanitation, as well as the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, for a solution.
Ephraim Mogale spokesperson Legale Sereko referred questions from
Pretoria News to the Sekhukhune District, saying the district dealt with the water authority.
Speaking to Pretoria News yesterday, Sekhukhune District municipality spokesperson Moloko Moloto said the DA, like any other organisation, were within their rights to approach the SAHRC.
He said: “Due to the growing population and the new settlements, the daily eight megalitres of water from the water treatment plant increasingly became insufficient. The Lepelle Northern Water, which is a water board of the Department of Water and Sanitation, has upgraded the capacity of the water treatment plant at a cost of just over R90 million.”
He added: “Work is practically complete, and this week, functionality of the system was tested, and engineers are tightening all the loose ends. On Friday, engineers will report on the outstanding work, essentially to tick all boxes, and that’ll give us an idea as to when the project be commissioned.
The water treatment plant is being upgraded to increase its capacity from the current eight megaliters to 16 megaliters a day. Once it’s commissioned, the system will be able to alleviate water challenges in the area. In the meantime, we’re been providing residents with water through tankers on a rotational basis.
“But what we should emphasise is that, as the district municipality, we are doing everything humanly possible to comply with Section 27 of the Constitution, which says that ‘the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation’ of rights such as access to water,” said Moloto.
Pretoria News