Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Eleanor Quinta and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Ana Motaung.
Areas of Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) that are considered high-lying relative to their respective water reservoirs are increasingly suffering from water outages. This is a direct result of excessive water leaks and a failure to ensure that water infrastructure equipment is upgraded to keep pace with a growing economy.
MAP water infrastructure is simply unable to keep up with the water demand caused by unattended water leaks. With hundreds of thousands of litres of purified water lost through water leaks, water is unable to build-up sufficient water pressure to reach high-lying areas. These same areas receive water last and are the first to lose water when a leak occurs.
Furthermore, MAP Water has not kept up with demand driven by a growing economy. With economic growth, water infrastructure must be upgraded to keep up with rising demand. This has simply not been happening in MAP. Underdeveloped water infrastructure is a direct cause of the water supply crisis.
Unfortunately, in MAP, with its poor revenue collection, there is a significant backlog in maintenance, leading to a reactive rather than proactive approach to maintenance and upgrades.
The DA will continue to apply pressure to disestablish MAP Water, as the current situation faced by many MAP residents is unacceptable and infringes on their constitutional rights. Communities cannot be expected to live with ongoing uncertainty regarding access to water, which is essential for dignity, health, and economic participation.
The DA has laid a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which made serious findings regarding violations of the right to water. Furthermore, due to DA pressure, the Department of Water and Sanitation instituted an intervention to improve bulk water infrastructure, as well as sewage plants and networks.
The DA will continue to push for proper funding of operations and maintenance in the municipal budget to ensure long-term sustainability and reliable service delivery.