The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape took the bold step of laying criminal charges against the Emthanjeni Local Municipality for its persistent failure to supply basic water and sanitation services to residents of De Aar, Hanover, and Britstown.
At the time we met with the South African Police Services, the police station in De Aar did not have any water. This shocking state of affairs confirms why drastic measures must be taken against the municipality.
The National Water Act and the Water Services Act imposes specific duties on municipalities, which flow from constitutional provisions that protects the right to sufficient water and a healthy environment. For the past few years, the municipality has failed in its duty to meet residents’ basic needs and the disruption to residents’ daily lives is intolerable.
The DA has spared no effort in our mission to address De Aar’s water scarcity. Local DA councillors engaged with municipal officials on numerous occasions, I have asked the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature repeatedly to conduct oversight visits, and we have lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission in 2022. I have also written packs of letters to the national Department of Water & Sanitation as well as the premier and relevant members of his provincial executive council.
This has all been to no avail and underscores the uncaring nature of the ANC in government. Emthanjeni is not the only municipality where taps and residents’ patience have run dry. Ultimately, it is only with a caring and competent government in place that we can begin to turn matters around.