Press Statement by – James Masango DA Mayoral Candidate Govan Mbeki Local Municipality
The DA in Govan Mbeki calls on the municipality to urgently work on a plan aimed at reviewing and maintaining water infrastructure.
This comes after the DA’s oversight yesterday to Extension 23, eMzinoni, where we discovered hundreds of litres of clean water being wasted daily due to damaged and neglected water meters.
Residents expressed frustration that many water meters have not been maintained for years, resulting in continuous leaks while communities across eMzinoni, Bethal and other parts of Govan Mbeki continue to experience severe water shortages and dry taps.
What is deeply concerning is that many of these water meters are installed inside residential yards instead of outside properties, making it difficult for municipal workers to access and repair them. Residents say this has become a recurring excuse used by the municipality whenever leaks are reported, with officials often claiming they could not gain access because no one was home.
This situation reflects a complete collapse of maintenance planning and infrastructure management within the municipality. At a time when communities are expected to conserve water, the municipality itself is allowing massive quantities of clean water to go to waste daily through negligence and poor administration.
The DA believes this ongoing crisis is directly linked to the municipality’s failure to prioritise preventative maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and accountability. Communities cannot continue to suffer while water is wasted in the streets.
The DA has consistently raised concerns regarding the prolonged water crisis affecting Bethal and eMzinoni, including before the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), where residents’ constitutional right to water has been highlighted.
A DA-led government in Govan Mbeki will prioritise proper infrastructure maintenance, accessible meter installations, rapid response teams and transparent service delivery systems to ensure that residents are provided with reliable water services.