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The DA in Tzaneen conducted regular oversights at the Georges Valley water plant and on the pipeline providing water to the plant over the past months.

The capacity of the plant is 8.4ML daily and only once during the oversights did the water input  measure more than 65%.

This means that 3 million litres of water are lost to the residents of Tzaneen every day and the chronic water shortages are exacerbated by load-shedding and water tankers illegally draining water from municipal taps.

The main pipeline is an asbestos pipe, which was declared illegal in 2008 and riddled with leaks.

Although several leaks that we identified on oversights were repaired during the last 3 months (see photos here, here and here), there are still 6 leakages that have yet to be repaired.

The reservoirs are closed at night and the highest level of the reservoir in the morning was at 55 % capacity; the daily average each morning in the reservoir is at 35% capacity.

Despite the escalating water crisis, the municipal manager, Donald Mhangwana, lifted the moratorium for new developments in Tzaneen during May 2023. The DA requested written reasons for this dumfounded decision, but have not yet received a response.

Roger Mills Street has no water for 20 hours per day, yet the municipality approved the developments, of a building a complex 150 meters below and 200 meters above this street.

Daily life has become a struggle in Tzaneen especially for older residents who need to carry buckets of water daily from waterpoints to their homes.

The lack of urgency and response by the municipal manager is half the problem and deprives residents of their constitutional right to water.

The DA now demands that the municipal manager provides an implementable plan with clear timeframes to fix this ANC mess within 10 days and failing to do so, we will report the matter to the South African Human Rights Commission.

We will no longer allow this ANC municipality to disregard the human rights of the people it is meant to serve.

Issued by Councillor Chrisma Bredenkamp - DA Member of the Finance Committee: Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality