Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Roy Jankielsohn MPL and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng
On this Human Rights Day, the Democratic Alliance (DA) reaffirms that Human Rights are not abstract ideals, they are lived realities. For residents of the Free State, the most basic of these realities, access to clean and reliable, water is still being denied.
Water equates to dignity, improved health, and economic opportunity. Without water, communities cannot thrive, children cannot learn properly, and families cannot live with the dignity promised in our Constitution.
In the Free State, residents are forced to endure dry taps, inconsistent supply, and crumbling infrastructure. In many communities, residents are often without water for days. Only a short distance from the Caledon River in Mashaeng at Fouriesburg, water restrictions have been in place for years.
Where there is water, it is often polluted, like in the Masilonyana Municipality, where residents in Makeleketla and Winburg are supplied with water from a source contaminated with sewage. Most freshwater sources in the province continue to be polluted. Municipalities dump raw sewage into major rivers and dams, such as the Gariep Dam and the Liebenbergsvlei, Wilge, Vals and Vaal Rivers, without any concern or consequences.
In more remote areas, residents are still forced to wake up in the early hours of the morning to collect water or spend what little income they have on alternatives. This is not just a service delivery failure, it is a human rights failure.
Fixing the province begins with getting the basics right. Water infrastructure must be properly maintained, municipalities must be held accountable, and corruption that robs communities of essential services must be rooted out. Where the DA governs, we have shown that clean audits, competent administration, and prioritising infrastructure can deliver reliable water to residents.
Human Rights Day should not only be a moment of reflection on our past, but a call to action for our present. The legacy of those who fought for freedom demands that we ensure every resident enjoys not just political rights, but the fundamental rights that make freedom meaningful and opportunity a reality.
Today, the DA reaffirms our commitment to fighting for every Free Stater’s right to water, dignity, and opportunity. Without water there can be no dignity, and without dignity, there can be no true freedom.