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The DA in Dihlabeng Local Municipality has on numerous occasions warned of the coming infrastructure collapse and asked what contingency plans the municipality has in place to prevent a full-out water disaster. As the community continues to experience water shortages, once again the poor management by the municipality is being exposed.

Certain residential areas and towns within the municipality have been without water for days. With only one water truck available, members of the community have been left without so much as a glass of clean water. Rosendal and Paul Roux struggle as there is a massive distance to be covered from Dihlabeng to have water in their taps. With no urgency to rejuvenate boreholes and the water refinery in Paul Roux, the municipality has left residents struggling.

No Municipal Manager has been appointed to assist in the procurement of required chemicals for water purification. The Executive Mayor, Tseki Tseki has been absent in these trying times and the Speaker, Nthabaleng Mofokeng has failed in her obligations she was elected to. The ANC has the numbers and power to remove both of these individuals from their positions as the current administration has been nothing less than a complete disaster without being held accountable.

Through our Provincial leader, Dr Roy Jankielsohn, the DA has requested that the Provincial Disaster Management Act be activated to allocate the necessary resources to mitigate this constant threat to the lives and livelihoods of our residents. This crisis needs to be addressed once and for all, to sustainably assist those who do not have access to free-flowing water due to incompetence and unwillingness to admit the failings of the municipality. The crisis requires active cooperation between National, Provincial and local governments.

The DA leads through example, integrity and accountability, which are non-existing in the current municipality leadership. The community deserves a municipality that is focused on good governance.

Issued by Willie Theunissen - DA Councillor Dihlabeng Local Municipality