The Democratic Alliance in Govan Mbeki will write a proposal plan to the Executive Mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma to assist with water conservation in the place of water throttling.
During a virtual meeting with business people, the Executive Mayor said that 20% of throttling is intended for water conservation by Rand Water. This is not the solution.
While we welcome the court decision to stop Rand Water from throttling water for residents of this municipality; we also commend the municipality for its initiative to take the matter to court. It is a confirmation of our stand that water is life and it is one of the basic rights enshrined in the constitution.
We can’t allow a situation where we become killers of the very same people we are representing. The Rand Water acted unlawfully and they should be blamed for the contravention of the constitution.
However, this court victory doesn’t mean that everything is in order in our municipality. There are still many problems to deal with, like the sewer spillages, pump stations that are not functional, refuse removal, potholes and water leaks.
Throttling water denies some households from getting water as normal and which they pay for. The municipality is the first to lead by example in conserving water and unfortunately this is not the case. Millions of Rands go down the drain as the municipality is losing almost 40% of the water supplied by Rand Water.
In order for the municipality to conserve water, it must focus on the following:
1. Repair all water leaks within a period of 24 hours reported.
2. Repair all sewer leaks within a period of 24 hours reported.
3. Clean all storm water drains to avoid contamination of rain water by sewerage.
4. Install and repair sewer pumps at pump stations.
5. Ensure that sewer plants are 100% functional.
6. Replace again water and sewer pipes.
7. Sensitize the community about the importance of conserving water.
If the sewer system is 100% functional, then we know that our clean water is preserved because dysfunctional sewer system pollutes water and the environment. If there are no water leaks, then water is being preserved and the municipality pays for water consumed and not lost. Saving millions of Rands to be used for other pressing matters of service delivery.
With the water issue sorted out with Rand Water, the municipality must now ensure that every household received water as per the constitution and indigent policy. The handover of fleets must also translate to better service delivery.
The DA will continue working hand in hand with the community of GMM by holding the ANC led municipality to account. The community comes first.