Note to Editors: Please find the attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Dr Roy Jankielsohn MPL, the Leader of the Opposition in the Free State. Please also click here for an image taken during a recent oversight visit by DA Councillors from the Dihlabeng Municipality at the Water Treatment Plant in Bethlehem.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has received many complaints from residents from various towns across the Free State regarding water supply and quality problems over the festive season and into the new year. The DA requested and received information from public representatives across the province and drafted a report on the most pressing water issues in the Free State (see report here). This report will be submitted to the Premier with a request for urgent intervention.
The household water scarcity experienced by many residents of local municipalities has recently been compounded and exposed by the global Covid-19 pandemic that requires people to practice water based hygiene such as regular hand washing. Water is a human rights issue and Chapter 2 of South Africa’s Constitution details that:
“Section 24. Everyone has the right –
a. to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and
b. to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that ¬
i. prevent pollution and ecological degradation;
ii. promote conservation; and
iii. secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development”.
This right cannot be guaranteed by the provincial and local governments in the Free State that lack the institutional capacity and political will to deliver on such rights. The continued water security in the Free State requires the presence of authorities that can take responsibility for the day-to-day as well as long-term provision and management of water. The current mismanagement of water resources in the Free State is fast becoming a serious human rights and political threat. The provision of a healthy and sustainable water supply also remains an important part of the Free State’s economic, social and environmental future.
The sad reality is that while South Africa remains one of the 30 driest countries in the world and experiences serious national water scarcity, the Free State currently has an abundance of water but residents remain waterless due to water supply and water pollution related management issues. From information received from all municipalities in the province, it is possible to identify the following root causes of water supply, water quality and water sewerage related problems:
• The lack of water-related technical and management expertise in many municipalities due to cadre deployment.
• Poor planning, financial mismanagement and inadequate prioritisation of funds towards basic service delivery.
• Ageing water-related infrastructure and poor maintenance of infrastructure.
• Growing demand for household water due to rapid urbanisation and diminishing supply due to infrastructure and financial mismanagement.
• The non-payment by residents as well as non-payment of municipalities to Water Boards, even though many residents do pay for water. Non-payment to Water Boards is tantamount to fraud.
• Financial mismanagement and corruption with emergency water supply and tenders relating to bulk infrastructure and maintenance.
• The failure to prioritise maintenance and bulk infrastructure in municipal budgets. In many instances residents are without water, but senior politicians demand perks such as official vehicles and money is spent on non-service delivery related expenses. Administrative and personnel related budgets that include unnecessary overtime payments remains too high while service delivery is not prioritised.
• Vandalism and theft at water and electricity facilities causes service supply problems due to the lack of adequate security. In some instances there appears to be deliberate sabotage linked to ANC factional fights.
• Internal ANC faction fighting affects council meetings that in turn impacts on effective oversight over, and accountability of, municipal administrations’ abilities to supply basic services.
The provincial Department of Cooperative Government and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) is more obsessed with political interference and covering up financial mismanagement than ensuring basic services. The Free State provincial government and municipalities have no plan to deal with basic service related issues and if such a plan exists they do not have the political will to implement it.
The DA, with a sound track record of service delivery where in government, remains the only viable alternative to the current ANC-run municipalities. Voters have to realise that in a democracy your basic services are linked to your personal electoral choices.