The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Magareng Municipality to speedily improve its management of the growing Warrenton water crisis.
Large parts of the community have not had access to clean, running water for a prolonged period of time, stretching into months for some. Elderly residents, confined to their homes and unable to fetch and carry water, are dependent on outside help to survive. Others are obliged to stand in long queues at Jo-Jo tanks to collect murky water, unfit for human consumption and even for washing. Municipal water tanks are visibly dirty, and no schedule or plan has been communicated for their cleaning and maintenance. Stomach-related illnesses are on the up-tick, as most people cannot afford to purchase water from vendors.
While residents wait in desperation for water to return to their taps, water flows wastefully in the streets, highlighting infrastructure neglect.
The lack of formal communication or consistent updates via municipal channels about the town’s water situation, has compounded the distress, leaving residents without guidance, timelines, or hope.
The non-availability of the Municipal Community Support Desk and the absence of an acting Water and Sanitation Technician, when the responsible official is on leave, leave the community without recourse.
The DA submitted a written letter to the municipal manager, requesting the following:
• Formal water crisis updates be sent to all councillors and the broader community via official platforms, outlining timelines, causes, and pro-active contingency plans;
• A roster of the scheduled cleaning of community water tanks, be publicised;
• A mobile or weekend support response desk be established to enable complaints to be reported without interruption, especially during technician absences.
While we still await a response on the above, Lisa Schickerling, DA Constituency Head of Diamond North, has also written to the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, to provide him with an update on the worsening water situation, following previous visits to the area, and amplifying our call for a higher intervention.
No one should have to go to bed without a drop of clean water or bath in water that is unfit for human use.