The IFP calls on government to provide a long term and permanent water
solution for areas such as Clocolan and Marquard under Setsoto Municipality
in the Free State, whose residents are constantly facing service delivery
failure.
IFP Spokesperson on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr
Peter Smith, MP, claimed that the issue of water scarcity in the Setsoto
Municipality was not new, and had already resulted in service delivery
protests. He said that it was completely unacceptable that thousands of
residents, including schoolchildren, had had no water in Clocolan and
Marquard areas for a long time, and that people were having to revert to the
hated bucket system for sanitation.
"This is outrageous", said Smith. "People can not live without water. This
represents a failure of the municipality and of government in general to
fulfill their constitutional obligations to the people, whose human rights
and dignity are under assault by the very people whom they voted into
office."
The IFP calls on the Minister of Water Affairs and relevant provincial
governments to apply themselves to the water crisis throughout the drier
parts of the country and to treat the water crisis with the seriousness it
deserves.
"And in respect of the Setsoto municipality, we do not want to see any more
victims like Andries Tatane who lost his life during service delivery
protests last year in this municipal area," said Smith.