The Democratic Alliance (DA) is hopeful that after five months of fighting for the water rights of the people of Windsorton Station area, water is finally due to be restored.
The control box at the solar pump in Windsorton Station was stolen in October last year. This left about forty people residing in the area, who are dependent on borehole water, without any water.
The DA submitted a written letter to the Magareng Municipal Manager on 15 October 2023, asking for an urgent intervention. We also raised this matter at every committee and council meeting since the incident in October.
Until two days, the response we received was that the municipality didn’t want to waste R65 000 on restoring water to just forty people who do not pay for water. They were also hesitant to replace what had previously been stolen.
None of the above justifies the municipality’s denial of residents’ basic right to access to water. If theft is a risk, then they must rather look at ways to better mitigate the risk and secure the water infrastructure.
The DA is relieved that the Municipal Manager finally indicated his intention to investigate the replacement of the the control box and repair of the solar pump, that was damaged during the theft. The DA has subsequently also wasted no time in submitting a quotation and invoice for the control box and pump to the municipality, to help speed up the process.
Many residents of Magareng continue to suffer from water shortages due to ongoing infrastructure issues, and delays in upgrading and completing water-projects. Any water-related actions that can be speedily implemented to increase access to water should therefore be prioritized not delayed.