The DA will closely monitor targets as presented in the Turn Around Strategy for Water and Sanitation in Sol Plaatje, which is a culmination of pressure placed by the DA on the municipality.
We welcome the long outstanding plan to address, amongst others, the more than 6 000 unresolved reported water leaks in Kimberley that are resulting in losses of potable water to the value of over R69 million, as well as the more than 9 000 unresolved sewer-related complaints that have turned the city into a giant toilet.
The DA previously called the municipality’s bluff on its excuse that loadshedding was responsible for the nightly water shutdowns, whereas mismanagement of water infrastructure has in fact been the main contributor of an insufficient supply of water to be fed to residents.
While the municipality acknowledges its failures, the turn-around plan is a step in the right direction. The DA will do everything in our power to ensure this strategy is implemented successfully and continue to do thorough oversights to monitor the progress.
We will also ask for representation on a task team to keep track of progress and identify and address challenges as and when they arise.
This will especially include real-time monitoring of the targeted number of 10 water leaks and 10 sewer blockages to be resolved every day, by each of the four teams that are to be established for a period of three months. This is critical to address the backlog of leaks.
We will further place pressure on Sol Plaatje to ensure that the vacant meter positions are filled as a matter of urgency. As the DA has previously stated, interim readings must come to an end, as they are unfair to residents and are also contributing to loss of revenue.
The DA will continue to report leaks that we become aware of. In fact, just this week, DA Cllr Chris Whittaker showed the Public Protector the worst leaks in Ward 24 of Sol Plaatje. We will also not shy away from holding the municipality accountable in this regard by still pursuing complaints that we have submitted to bodies like the South African Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector.