Non-payment by Dr Ruth Segomotsi District Municipality leaves residents without water

Issued by Cllr Hendriette Van Huyssteen – DA Councillor: Naledi Local Municipality
18 Apr 2021 in Press Statements

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will request our Provincial Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), Freddy Sonakile MPL, to urgently write to COGHSTA MEC Mmoloki Cwaile, regarding the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Naledi due to a lack of water.

On Friday, the DA was informed that there was no bulk water delivered to Huhudi, Extension 25 and Extension 28 by Sedibeng Water.

The failure to deliver bulk water not only affects residential areas but also affects  Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital which needs water for plumbing fixtures, sterilising medical equipment and keeping general hygiene so that patients do not get infections.

Sedibeng stopped distributing water due to non-payment by Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality, the district allegedly hasn’t paid Sedibeng Water for an extensive period.

There is no timeline or indication of when this issue will be resolved, which means that the community will be without water for the foreseeable future.

In an effort to resolve this, the Naledi Local Municipality is pumping water from an existing reservoir to the affected areas. This is not a sustainable method and cannot service the entire area.

Naledi Local Municipality has to rationalise the limited resources and deal with enraged community members.

This is not the first time water resources has created a crisis in Naledi, in March 2019 the former Minister for COGHSTA, Zweli Mkhize, visited the municipality prompted by community protest action due to a lack of water. At least two years later nothing has changed.

The failure of the ANC to deliver a basic service delivery component such as bulk water is a testament to their failure to govern.

Naledi Local Municipality needs a change of leadership, and the DA is ready to deliver the services that residents are Constitutionally entitled to.