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An oversight inspection to the water purification plant in Kakamas yesterday, confirmed that yet another very serious water crisis is unfolding in the Northern Cape, prompting the Democratic Alliance (DA) to report the matter to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, for urgent referral to her new water agency.

The DA’s oversight inspection was prompted by the municipality’s flushing of the pipes of the water system in Kakamas over the weekend. No amount of flushing, however, could improve the quality of the smelly, ginger-beer coloured water that residents have become accustomed to. This is because the entire plant was found to be old and broken and in dire need of an upgrade.

Only two of the six clarifiers are working, rows of filters are not operational, and the dams holding the water are filthy and have not been cleaned in ages.

In addition to this, it was found that the water being provided to residents is being pumped from the canal and not the river. This is because Kai !Garib municipality, like so many other municipalities in the province, failed to heed the flood warnings, two weeks in advance, to lift the pumps. In effect, the pump at the Kakamas plant is dysfunctional, and is still lying at the bottom of the river. This poses its own threat to human health, as the canal water is intended for irrigation for farmlands and is not intended for human consumption.

The DA has raised the matter with the Kai !Garib municipality and with the ZF Mgcawu district municipality, which itself has conceded that Kai !Garib’s water is of a very low quality. They also acknowledged that the staff operating the plant do not have the necessary skills or qualifications to utilise the telemetry systems. This is a blow for water quality control.

The DA will submit the matter to Minister Sisulu’s office. We will also refer the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which is currently investigating a number of similar water related issues stemming from all over the province. We will further be embarking on oversight inspections to the eight other water purification plants situated in Kai !Garib municipality.

Residents of Kai !Garib have the right to the sustainable provision of clean water. This right must be protected at all costs.

Issued by The DA