/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Residents of the Buffalo City Municipality are tired of having their calls for assistance with water and sanitation issues simply ignored. It is about time that the city establishes a dedicated water and sanitation call centre, where calls actually get answered!

The DA recently investigated the five reporting numbers provided by the Metro across its various platforms for reporting water and sanitation issues.

From 24 June to 20 July, we called these numbers at random times during office hours and found the following:

• The numbers given to report sanitation issues in the Coastal and Inland regions are incorrect on the municipal website.
• Water reporting: 30 phone calls were made and only five were answered (17%).
• Sanitation reporting: 30 phone calls were made and only five were answered (17%).

This is an untenable situation, and the DA will be tabling a motion at the council meeting on Wednesday, 27 July, calling on the council to adopt setting up a dedicated water and sanitation call centre.

We will also write to the acting city manager to ensure that this utter failure is brought to his attention and request that he takes action.

Water bursts and sewage spills are on the increase due to ageing infrastructure, theft and vandalism.

It is critical for the municipality to have a highly professional and efficient dedicated reporting mechanism for water and sanitation issues.

The reporting mechanism should include telephone, SMS, email and WhatsApp options. This will enable consumers to report issues with ease, allow the Metro to prioritise issues and decrease the response times for repairs, thus saving money and satisfying consumers.

The DA always strives to act in the best interests of the residents of the Metro to ensure they receive quality service delivery. We are in your corner, fighting for you.

Issued by Cllr Sue Bentley - DA BCM Caucus Leader