Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Estelle Noordman and Sesotho by Karabo Khakhau MP.
Amidst the daily opening of water sources in Kopanong Local Municipality, streets in various towns, including Philippolis, Jagersfontein, Fauresmith, and Gariep Dam, are inundated due to burst pipes. Please see the pictures here, here, here and here.
This alarming situation persists without intervention, stemming from the lack of services and unpaid salaries for Kopanong municipal workers. Compounding matters, the sewage systems are increasingly obstructed.
Despite prior reporting, no action has been taken for over a month, leaving communities vulnerable. Furthermore, insufficient funds hinder any procurement for repair works, raising concerns about accountability for the mass water wastage.
We will raise the issue in the council and demand answers from the municipality on what steps are in place to address the crisis. A DA government will urgently address governance challenges in the Department of Water and Sanitation and improve the provision of clean, sustainable water resources to Kopanong.
Failure to resolve these pressing issues not only jeopardises public health and safety but also undermines trust in governance and exacerbates socio-economic challenges within the affected communities.