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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape has reported the Tsantsabane Municipality and Vaal Central Water to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) as a result of significant water shortages experienced over the past week due to outstanding debt.

Since Friday, a number of areas including Boichoko, Airifields and Mountain View in Postmasburg have been without water. Vaal Central Water shut down the water supply to this area because of the massive amount of outstanding debt, totaling more than R118 million, owed by the municipality.

Residents have been struggling to cook and clean. This is especially affecting the elderly, school children and particularly mine workers, of whom a large majority reside in this area.

Municipal management has been evasive and numerous messages and phonecalls to seek clarity on the situation, have not been responded to.

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

The DA expressed our concern regarding the way this matter has been handled, also presenting the frustrations of the community to council yesterday. Poor financial management by the municipality must be urgently addressed and prevented from violating peoples’ basic right to water.

To enforce accountability, I also submitted a complaint to the SAHRC, reporting both the municipality and the water board for their collective failure to ensure that people have access to a sustainable supply of water. I have also 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.

Issued by James Boucher, Cllr - Tsantsabane Municipality