The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape wants the Tsantsabane municipality’s poor financial management to be urgently addressed, thereby preventing it from violating peoples’ basic right to water.

Tsantsabane municipality councillor James Boucher has submitted a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), reporting the municipality and the water board for their collective failure to ensure that people have access to a sustainable supply of water.  

Boucher said the shortage was owing to the municipality’s outstanding debt.

He requested an urgent intervention, to facilitate an agreement between the municipality and the water board, or entry into a debt relief programme, to ensure that the municipality meets it financial obligations in future, while also guaranteeing the consistent provision of water to the community.

Boucher noted that since Friday, a number of areas including Boichoko, Airifields and Mountain View in Postmasburg had been without water.

“Vaal Central Water shut down the water supply to this area because of the massive amount of outstanding debt, totalling more than R118-million, owed by the municipality,” he said.

He pointed out that residents had been struggling to cook and clean, stating that this affects the elderly, school children and particularly mineworkers, of whom a large majority reside in the area.

Boucher highlighted that municipal management had been evasive and numerous messages and phone calls to seek clarity on the situation had not been responded to.

“The situation is serious. The community needs answers, but most of all they need water,” he stated.

The party expressed its concern regarding the way the matter had been handled, also presenting the frustrations of the community to council yesterday.