Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Maritha Coetzee
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in City of Matlosana is demanding answers after repeated repairs to the water pipeline supplying the Rietkuil reservoir continue to fail within hours, leaving residents of Hartbeesfontein and Tigane without water for days at a time.
Residents report that even after repair teams complete work on the pipeline, leaks reappear almost immediately. This cycle of temporary fixes has left communities without reliable water supply and raises serious questions about the quality of repairs, contractor accountability, and the management of municipal resources.
For many residents, water is now available only one day a week, a situation that is neither sustainable nor acceptable.
Access to water is a basic human right protected by Section 27 of the Bill of Rights, yet the ongoing collapse of infrastructure continues to deny residents reliable access to safe drinking water.
At the same time, failing sewer infrastructure in the area is increasing the risk of serious health hazards for the community.
The DA believes that the continued failure of these repairs cannot simply be dismissed as technical problems. It raises legitimate concerns about whether public funds allocated for infrastructure repairs are being properly used and whether adequate oversight exists to ensure that repairs are done correctly.
Residents deserve transparency regarding:
- The total amount spent on repairs to the Rietkuil pipeline.
- Which contractors have been responsible for these repairs.
- Why repairs repeatedly fail within hours.
- What permanent solution is being implemented to stabilise water supply.
The current situation highlights a deeper failure of governance within the municipality, where infrastructure is repeatedly patched instead of properly repaired.
Where the DA governs, infrastructure maintenance is prioritised and preventative maintenance inhibit crises like these from developing. Municipalities such as Midvaal, Kouga and uMngeni demonstrate that proper planning and responsible financial management can ensure reliable water supply for residents.
The DA will continue to pursue oversight on this matter and demand accountability until a permanent solution is implemented. Residents of Hartbeesfontein and Tigane deserve more than temporary fixes and empty promises — they deserve reliable water supply and a municipality that takes infrastructure maintenance seriously.