Pretoria - The City of Joburg has invested R930 million in the upgrading of water supply and sewerage infrastructure following a major outcry about poor water supply in the city.
This was revealed yesterday by the mayor, Dr Mpho Phalatse, who was reinstated in her position following an urgent court application in the South Gauteng High Court last week.
Phalatse replaced the ANC’s Dada Morero, who was in office for less than 23 days.
Addressing residents yesterday, Phalatse said: “The rest of the rightful executive committee and I are back where we belong, and we are hitting the ground running, picking up right where we left off. The task of saving Joburg continues. On (last) Tuesday evening, I chaired an urgent virtual meeting of the mayoral committee in order to get the City and its executive back to work.
“My fellow residents, not only have you had to contend with the worst year of load shedding since the first scheduled blackouts in 2007, but you have also been forced to live with an unstable supply of water.
“This is not the Johannesburg we want our children to grow up in. The DA will not allow it,” she said.
Phalatse said that last week’s court judgment confirming that the ANC had illegally removed her as the executive mayor was “indeed a win” for democracy. She said her party never gave up the fight, saying it was a fight on behalf of the residents of Johannesburg. “Now we get back to work. Before the coup by the ANC, the multiparty government made significant progress in undoing decades of neglect of our water system.
“We made this clear when we debated on this urgent matter in council on October 21, when the false ANC leadership said the solution would be tanks and boreholes. It can only be the corrupt ANC that suggests a plaster to heal a severe wound.
“Joburg Water has proposed medium- and long-term interventions and projects to ensure sustainability of water supply to our municipality. Plans for a new connection from Rand Water to supplement supply to critical bulk water supply areas in Joburg are under way. Sadly, however, with all these continuous interventions, the problem of ANC maladministration remains with our bulk water supplier – Rand Water,” Phalatse said.
She said Rand Water had failed dismally in the maintenance of electrical infrastructure which was now impacting on its ability to pump water.
“But I stand before you, as the executive mayor of the City of Joburg, a city I so dearly love, and I make a commitment that only a party with a proven track record of service delivery can make: using concrete solutions to real problems, the multiparty government will start the major task of fixing Johannesburg. Truly fixing, not merely sticking on a plaster.
“And the good news is, the work has already started,” she said.
Phalatse said her council had invested R930m in water supply and sewerage infrastructure, saying they had already started the project of replacing asbestos pipes in the greater Fourways area, and started the upgrade of the Brixton and Crosby reservoirs.
“Joburg Water has replaced 100.8km of water pipes and 69.5km of sewer pipes during the months of April to June. Over the coming days we will also be working to ensure that urgent matters, like the water and power crises, and that the safety and security of residents, are attended to.
“I believe most residents of this City know that there is still a long way to go to turn Johannesburg around, and it will likely take many years to fix.
“But if there is one thing I know to be true, it’s that the DA can get it done,” the mayor said.
Pretoria News