Please find attached soundbite in English and Afrikaans by Soret Viljoen.
- Ottosal residents have experienced prolonged water disruptions linked to infrastructure failures in Tswaing and Ngaka Modiri Molema.
- A municipal report revealed that only 17 of the 39 boreholes supplying Ottosdal were operational.
- The DA has reported the crisis to the SAHRC and Public Protector after repeated appeals to authorities failed.
The Democratic Alliance has reported the prolonged water supply crisis in Ottosdal to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Public Protector following weeks of unreliable water supply affecting residents and businesses.
By early November, residents had endured approximately seven weeks of water disruptions, with the ANC-led Tswaing Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality failing to restore reliable supply.
Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality is responsible for supplying bulk water from boreholes to the town, while Tswaing Local Municipality is responsible for distributing water from the town’s water tower to households and businesses.
A report presented to Tswaing’s Technical Portfolio Committee on 27 October 2026 revealed that only 17 of the 39 boreholes supplying Ottosdal were operational at the time.
Residents have resorted to connecting garden hoses across neighbourhoods to share water from private boreholes. Households have struggled with basic sanitation, while local businesses have warned that unreliable water supply threatens their operations, livelihoods and jobs.
Since 9 September, the DA has repeatedly raised the crisis with municipal officials, municipal managers, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Premier Lazarus Mokgosi, without securing a lasting resolution.
Despite repeated reports of pump repairs, maintenance and pipeline replacements, the crisis remained unresolved in early November. A visit by the district municipality’s acting Municipal Manager, Frans Mabokela, and his task team on 31 October also failed to deliver an immediate resolution.
The DA has formally reported this prolonged service delivery failure to the SAHRC and Public Protector, requesting intervention and accountability for the continued disruption of residents’ access to wa
The DA calls on both municipalities to ensure reliable water supply, provide emergency water assistance wherever disruptions persist, and communicate a clear recovery plan to affected residents.
Reliable water supply is essential to protecting public health, sustaining local businesses and safeguarding jobs. Ottosdal residents deserve lasting solutions, not repeated promises.