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It is unbelievable and completely unacceptable that the Infrastructure MMC, Shashapa Motaung, said that the municipality had no idea what to do about the water crisis it was currently experiencing.

The MMC stated that it will rely on the Department of Water and Sanitation to formulate a plan to solve the water crisis. Either the MMC is playing the fool or honestly does not know.

The DA presented solutions to the situation during a brief discussion with the MMC. One solution was to contact Eskom and request permission to self-load shed the region where the Water Treatment Plant is located. This would increase the amount of continuous and uninterrupted operating time for the facility.

Additionally, we proposed the municipality request Eskom to move the water treatment plant onto its own dedicated power line, thereby allowing the plant to run uninterrupted indefinitely. The request would have a once-off expense with no additional daily running costs.

Lastly, to procure additional generators, ensuring fewer water supply interruptions. In response, the MMC asked, "Who would pay the operational costs?" The MMC did bring up the idea of a solar power facility. Sadly, this idea is still in the planning stages and will not be implemented for some years, if at all.

The fact that such initiatives are given precedence over a fundamental human right to water is utterly unacceptable. The maladministration of the municipality is just another example of the disconnect between MAP16 and the community. Solutions need to be implemented now and not later.

Residents of Maluti-a-Phofung, unfortunately, do not have the luxury of time during this crisis. The municipality’s solutions include first having meetings to discuss and then drawing up reports. MaP residents need action, not discussions. It is clear that the municipality is drowning in crisis situations for which they do not have any real, concrete solutions.

The DA will continue to put pressure on officials to come up with viable solutions and to put such solutions into action. The water crisis situation in MaP will also continue to be raised by DA MPLs to the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Issued by Eleanor Quinta - DA Councillor Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality