Press Statement by Fiona Pelman DA Councillor Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
The DA in Govan Mbeki will table a motion calling on the municipality to prioritise the completion of a water reservoir in Secunda, Extension 22.
Since August last year, the reservoir has remained at approximately 95% completion. Multiple formal requests for progress updates on the outstanding 5% have yielded nothing more than acknowledgements of receipt, with no substantive feedback provided to residents or public representatives.
Meanwhile residents of Extensions 22 and 23 have been up in arms over continuous water outages while this reservoir remains incomplete. It must be noted that this is a critical infrastructure that is meant to protect these communities during future water supply disruptions, outages, or pressure fluctuations from Rand Water.
Higher-lying areas such as Ext 22 and Ext 23 are particularly susceptible during periods of reduced water pressure or emergency supply interruptions. Recent experiences have once again highlighted the urgent need for adequate storage and infrastructure resilience in these areas.
The completion of the Extension 22 Reservoir is therefore not simply a matter of finishing a project; it is essential infrastructure required to safeguard residents against future supply instability, planned maintenance interruptions, sudden outages, or any reduction in system pressure.
The municipality’s reliance on water tankers during emergencies cannot become the long-term fallback plan. Tankers are temporary relief measures not sustainable infrastructure solutions for growing communities.
Access to reliable water infrastructure is a basic necessity. Residents deserve assurance that their communities are properly prepared for future supply interruptions and that critical projects are treated with the urgency they require. The continued lack of clear communication from the municipality despite formal enquiries and repeated requests for updates is deeply concerning. The DA will continue to pursue every available channel until the municipality takes accountability and completes this reservoir.