The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged the Emthanjeni municipality to institute interim plans to address De Aar’s water and sanitation challenges ahead of infrastructure developments scheduled for the 2026/2027 financial year.
This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) eventually secured legislative oversight of Emthanjeni during the past week. The DA has been taking action in respect of water and sanitation issues in Emthanjeni since 2022, including demanding oversight from the portfolio committee on COGHSTA.
While we are relieved that our ongoing efforts have culminated in long overdue oversight inspections by the committee, and funding allocated towards critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades, the DA remains concerned that the project is only due to get underway in the new financial year.
The municipality owes it to residents, who have had to suffer water shortages, sewerage spills and contamination for years, to urgently institute interim measures to provide immediate relief. Interventions must not, however, include the ongoing expenditure of R600 000 every month on the hiring of water tankers. They should rather be more sustainable solutions that offer real value for money and capacitate the municipality to deliver better services over a sustained period.
With regards to the funding allocation for water and sanitation infrastructure, we have further proposed that an open portal be developed to ensure transparent tendering processes to ensure that the most fit-for-purpose contractor is appointed. It is critical to ensure the project is successful and that the funds are used for their intended purpose.
The DA will continue to closely monitor developments and put pressure on the municipality and COGHSTA, to put the needs of Emthanjeni residents first.