Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Hilton Maasdorp and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL. See attached picture here.
The DA in Dihlabeng notes with concern the continued challenges with water supply and effective service delivery in several communities, as well as the municipality’s apparent lack of progress in implementing the findings and recommendations of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report.
Residents in several areas continue to experience prolonged water interruptions, inconsistent supply, declining water quality, and broader service delivery challenges. These ongoing issues have a direct impact on daily life and place additional strain on already vulnerable communities.
Access to water is a basic human right and an essential service that municipalities are legally obligated to provide. When this service becomes unreliable, the effects are felt immediately by households, businesses, and public institutions alike.
Reliable service delivery is fundamental to restoring dignity and confidence in local government.
The SAHRC report previously highlighted several shortcomings in the municipality’s water management systems and broader service-delivery processes, and provided recommendations to strengthen governance, improve accountability, and restore effective service delivery. At present, however, there appears to be limited visible progress in implementing these recommendations.
The slow pace of implementation raises concerns about the municipality’s commitment to addressing the identified issues and to ensuring that residents’ constitutional rights are adequately protected.
The DA has written to the municipality to:
- Publicly outline the steps that have been taken to implement the recommendations contained in the SAHRC report.
- Provide a clear and time-bound plan to address the ongoing water supply and service delivery challenges affecting communities.
- Clarify the accountability measures being implemented to prevent similar service delivery failures in the future.
Communities deserve reliable access to clean water, consistent service delivery, and responsive, transparent leadership that takes oversight findings seriously.
The DA will continue to monitor this matter closely and will use all available oversight mechanisms to ensure the municipality meets its obligations to residents.