Please find attached soundbite in Afrikaans by Maritha Coetzee.
Please find attached soundbite in English by Maritha Coetzee.
- Hartbeesfontein residents have endured recurring weekend water outages since January 2026.
- The municipality’s continued failure to provide a reliable water supply is placing residents’ health, safety, and dignity at risk.
- The DA is calling for urgent intervention to restore reliable water services and prevent further failures.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned by the ongoing water supply crisis affecting the community of Hartbeesfontein, where residents have been subjected to recurring weekend water outages since January 2026.
Despite repeated complaints from the community, the municipality has failed to resolve the underlying causes of the outages. Reports indicate that water pumps are not being operated consistently, known electrical faults at pump stations remain unresolved, and no credible long-term solution has been communicated to residents.
Access to water is a basic constitutional right and one of the most fundamental responsibilities of local government. Municipalities have a legal and moral obligation to provide reliable water services to the communities they serve. The continued failure to do so represents a serious breakdown in service delivery and accountability.
The consequences extend far beyond inconvenience. Without a reliable water supply, residents are unable to meet their basic daily needs, while emergency services, sanitation, public health, and fire response are all compromised.
Recent events have highlighted these risks. Following the tragic death of a 91-year-old resident during a house fire in Hartbeesfontein, concerns have once again been raised about the importance of ensuring that adequate water is available during emergencies. While it cannot be concluded that the outcome would have been different, communities should never have to question whether failing municipal infrastructure may have limited emergency response efforts.
The DA therefore calls on the City of Matlosana to urgently restore a reliable water supply to Hartbeesfontein, provide residents with a clear explanation for the recurring outages, resolve outstanding electrical faults affecting pump stations, and implement a comprehensive maintenance and infrastructure plan to prevent future disruptions.
Residents deserve transparency about the causes of these failures and regular communication on the progress being made to resolve them.
The DA believes that access to reliable water is not a privilege but a basic service that every municipality is obligated to provide. Communities should not be forced to endure repeated water outages because of poor planning, inadequate maintenance, or failures in municipal management.
The DA will continue to hold the municipality accountable until Hartbeesfontein residents receive the reliable water services they deserve. Where municipalities fail to uphold their responsibilities, the DA will continue to pursue every available oversight mechanism to protect the rights and interests of residents.