Water crisis more proof that Sol Plaatje needs urgent intervention

7 October 2019

Just like the rest of Kimberley, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is highly frustrated by the casual and ad hoc way in which the current water shutdown has been handled by Sol Plaatje Municipality.

The water shutdown, intended for infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, commenced on Wednesday evening and was scheduled to be concluded by Friday evening. Five days later, however, the city finds itself in a situation whereby some residents have yet to see water flowing through their taps since the water was turned off. Meanwhile, others are experiencing random streams and such low pressure that their geysers and washing machines cannot even work.

We even see a situation where school hostels were calling on the public on Sunday night to urgently assist them with water for their learners. Never mind the situation at Kimberley Hospital, where toilets allegedly had to be flushed with bottled water and infection control has been severely compromised, after the hospital’s water supplies are believed to have run dry last week already.

We appreciate the fact that residents have drummed together to help each other, with individuals, businesses and organisations with excess water supplies, assisting those whose water has run out. The onus, however, falls on the municipality, who unlike the residents of Kimberley, has made little effort to assist those who find themselves withour water.

The situation has become untenable.

Worst of all is that the communication by Sol Plaatje municipality has amounted to a series of false promises that have simply not materialised, followed by what seemed to be a total shutdown of Sol Plaatje last night, leaving residents completely in the dark.

This is unacceptable.

People do not want to be undermined by being told half-truths and untruths. They want the full truth. They want to know the extent of the situation so that they can determine what measures to put in place in order to be able to mitigate the water shutdown.

These are people with families, people with babies, people who are sick and people who are elderly. What suffering are they not enduring as a result of this water fiasco?

The current water crisis in Kimberley is more proof that Sol Plaatje municipality has become one of the worst run municipalities in this country. Our city is dirty and potholed, and aside from the regular water shutdowns experienced, residents also continue to endure nightly water cuts.

We appreciate the fact that Premier Zamani Saul indicated that he would be having an urgent meeting with Sol Plaatje municipality this morning. We must emphasize however that the time for talking has long passed. There can be no denying that this municipality is in need of a dire intervention before the little that is left of our once sparkling city also goes to wrack and ruin.

Issued by Andrew Louw, DA Northern Cape Provincial Leader, 7 October 2019