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The South African Communist Party (SACP) Gauteng Province calls on Rand Water to urgently restore the water supply in the Emfuleni Local Municipality to avoid a looming humanitarian crisis.

The SACP has noted that the people of Emfuleni have not had water due to a financial dispute between Rand Water and the Local Municipality. In a period where extreme weather conditions have resulted in a heat wave across our province, the current situation could have dire implications for the residents of the municipality.

The SACP calls on Rand Water to restore the supply of water, which is a source of life, to the people while it continues to engage with the leadership of the municipality over the unpaid debt. Failure to do so will certainly result in a crisis especially in the period when our province and the country deal with the outbreak of the listeriosis bacteria, diarrhea and other forms bacteria.

The outbreak will be further exacerbated by residents using water that is not suitable for human consumption in their desperation for alternative sources of water supply. We are also concerned by the rise in reported incidents of the destruction of public property such as fire hydrants as people seek water sources.

The SACP will hold Rand Water responsible for any humanitarian disaster as the utility can still provide water while resolving the issue of non-payment. We call on the new Mayor of Emfuleni Local Municipality comrade Jacob Khawe to immediately initiate an investigation into the municipality’s finances and why it failed to honour its obligations to Rand Water.

The SACP is consulting Alliance structures in the region for a possible protest against Rand Water.

Issued by the SACP Gauteng province