The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands that the Sol Plaatje Municipality takes full accountability for a life-threatening incident in Ritchie, where a municipal Jo-Jo water tank collapsed and critically injured a local resident. This tragedy was entirely preventable and exposes negligence in the municipality’s water provision programme.
Sabata Winston Katsio, DA Deputy Branch Chairperson in Ward 26, risked his life to save three small children after spotting them playing beneath a Jo-Jo tank in Motswedimosa. The tank was mounted on an unstable frame and placed on slippery, wet grass. While the children escaped unharmed, the 2 500-litre tank collapsed onto Katsio.
He sustained catastrophic injuries, including a broken back and hip, a fractured neck, and severe internal injuries. He is currently fighting for his life at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital.
Large parts of the greater Ritchie area have been without running water since Sedibeng Water undertook pipe work in 2018. The specific area where Katsio resides has had no water since contractors worked on the pipes in 2025, also forcing residents to rely on Jo-Jo tanks for survival.
Following this incident, the DA conducted an oversight inspection of other Jo-Jo tanks in the area, all serviced by the same municipal contractor. At least two additional tanks in the Mothlaku zone were found to be standing on unstable frames. Alarmingly, children were also seen playing on one of these structures. Two other tanks were found with broken taps, rendering them unusable. The DA further confirmed that these tanks are refilled only once every 10 days to two weeks, despite the contractor only supplying sufficient water for approximately two days at a time.
While the DA has established the identity of the contractor responsible, all attempts to contact the company have failed. Municipal officials have likewise ignored repeated calls, further underscoring the municipality’s culture of unaccountability.
The DA will not allow this incident to pass without consequences. We are engaging senior municipal management to ensure that the municipality works with RMSH to guarantee that Katsio receives the life-saving medical care he urgently requires.
We will also pursue full accountability against the contractor for failing to comply with the terms of the water provision contract. Equally, Sol Plaatje municipal officials must be held responsible for failing to enforce contractual compliance and for placing residents’ lives at risk.
In addition, the DA will continue to fight for the restoration of water to residents’ taps through the long overdue installation of booster pumps.
The municipality owes this not only to Sabata Katsio and his family, but to every resident of Ritchie whose right of access to water has been violated.