Residents in Koppies deserve action after another water crisis

Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Carina Serfontein and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. See attached picture here.

Koppies residents are once again suffering under a severe and ongoing water crisis. The DA in Ngwathe has written to the Municipal Manager, calling for immediate intervention, clarity, and accountability.

For several days, households have had no water, or at best a minimal supply, often for only 30 minutes to one hour per day, and at very low pressure.

Since last Friday, the situation has worsened. Today, water quality has become a serious concern, with residents reporting dirty, unsafe water from their taps. Although the network was briefly opened this morning, within an hour, the supply was reduced or shut down again, leaving residents without basic access once more.

Access to clean, reliable water is a fundamental human right. It is unacceptable that communities continue to suffer in this manner.

To address this crisis urgently and transparently, the following actions have already been taken:

1. A formal written request has been submitted to the Municipal Manager, calling for immediate intervention, clarity, and accountability.
2. A request has been made to escalate the matter to the Department of Water and Sanitation, ensuring that the situation receives technical attention and support at a higher level.
3. Monitoring of the water supply cycle is ongoing to document supply patterns, quality, pressure issues, and network shut-offs.
4. Community reports are being consolidated to ensure accurate, real-time information is communicated to officials and relevant oversight bodies.
5. A demand for a complete technical assessment of pumps, pipelines, reservoir levels, and operational procedures has been placed on record.

Koppies residents have the right to consistent, safe, and dignified access to water. We cannot allow this crisis to be normalised or ignored.

We call on the Municipal Manager and the Department of Water and Sanitation to act without delay to restore stability and ensure sustainable long-term solutions.