Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Hismajesty Maqhubu.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will take urgent action to compel the Tokologo Local Municipality to conduct and publish its long-overdue self-assessments under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Blue Drop, Green Drop, and No Drop programmes. This will ensure transparency and accountability in safeguarding residents’ access to clean and safe drinking water.
We are outraged by the Tokologo Local Municipality’s shocking failure to fulfil its duty to provide clean drinking water. By ignoring essential self-evaluations under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Blue Drop, Green Drop, and No Drop programmes, they have put the community at risk and demonstrated a blatant disregard for the well-being of residents.
The Municipal Strategic Self-Assessment (MuSSA) is vital for ensuring that drinking water is safe and clean. However, Tokologo has left residents in the dark about the safety of their water supply. This failure not only threatens public health but also violates citizens’ rights to access clean water.
Recent reports from the Water and Sanitation Working Group of SALGA Free State reveal that Tokologo has failed to address serious issues in its water services. They have not submitted the required Blue Drop Corrective Action Plan for 2023, and their performance is alarmingly low at just 31%, a clear indication that our water system is in dire trouble. Their complete disregard for feedback from the Department is a troubling sign of a deeper problem within municipal leadership.
Most alarmingly, residents in Hertzogville are now forced to consume brown, untreated water, a horrifying consequence of the municipality’s negligence. Their failure to act has come back to haunt them and everyone who relies on them for clean water.
The DA demands that Tokologo take immediate action by conducting and publishing the required self-assessments. We call for transparency and a clear plan to fix these issues. The time for excuses is over; our residents deserve accountability and a commitment to their health and safety.