/ 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.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) laid criminal charges at the South African Police Services (SAPS) in Kimberley against the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality for their persistent failure to provide water supply to residents. The charges were laid by cllr. Ockie Fourie, who represents the DA on the Utilities Committee, and cllr. Chris Whittaker, who represents the DA on the Finance Committee.

Sol Plaatje might not take their duties in terms of the Water Services Act and the National Water Act seriously, but the DA does. Our charges are based on the demonstrable fact that Sol Plaatje is currently failing to protect residents’ rights to have access to basic water supply and failing to provide efficient, affordable access to water services to residents.

SAPS must investigate mismanagement of funds allocated for repairs and maintenance of bulk infrastructure in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act. R500 million was allocated in 2021, with an additional R1.9 billion allocated in 2023. But the situation is worsening rather than improving, raising questions about misappropriation and criminal misuse of money meant to deliver services.

There’s been at least eleven planned and emergency shutdowns that occurred in the 27 months since November 2021, including five emergency shutdowns just in the four months from October 2023 to January 2024. In addition to the chaos created by increasingly frequent water shutdowns, residents are now also expected to put up with daytime and nighttime suspensions of municipal water supply. Even if the municipality adheres to the timeframes given for these interruptions, residents are effectively left without access to water for fourteen out of every twenty-four hours.

It cannot go on like this. As the cost of living continues to increase and as two out of every five people in the Northern Cape still cannot find jobs, ordinary residents simply cannot afford to keep buying water. The unreliable water supply also makes it unnecessarily hard for businesses, schools, clinics, and care facilities for the elderly or persons with disabilities.

Laying criminal charges is the next step in an ongoing process to ensure that residents enjoy access to water. As DA councillors, we raise these issues in committee and in council. We’ve lodged complaints with the South African Human Rights Commission since 2021 and the Office of the Public Protector since 2022. The DA has repeatedly engaged with the provincial government, and even escalated these issues to the president, the deputy president, the national Minister of the Department of Water & Sanitation and the Minister of CoGTA. In February, we led a community march to the municipal offices to hand over a petition with our very reasonable demand that residents deserve to have access to water. We gave the municipality fourteen days to respond, which lapsed with no response from their side.

The way that Sol Plaatje robs residents of their right to water is absolutely criminal. It cannot be accepted or normalised, but must be investigated.

Issued by Ockert Fourie Cllr - Sol Plaatje Municipality