The blame for the ongoing water crisis experienced by the residents of large parts of the Johannesburg Metro should be laid squarely on the shoulders of the incompetent ANC and its governing partners.
Households and businesses have had to get by without water for weeks as the supply schedules are erratic. This state of affairs is unacceptable, and is the direct result of years of backlogged maintenance, poor planning and the failure to upgrade water infrastructure.
Despite its many promises, the ANC has failed to replace aging water infrastructure to meet the growing demand.
The Metro’s excuses and “emergency statements” are no longer doing the trick. This crisis does not only stem from population growth or climate pressures, but primarily from administrative incompetence and financial mismanagement.
Johannesburg residents are sick and tired of empty promises.
So, the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) called on the Metro to:
- Conduct an independent audit of all water infrastructure to identify critical issues.
- Prioritise preventative maintenance rather than just doing emergency repairs.
- Upgrade the Metro’s extensive water systems to accommodate current and future demand.
- Improve communication with residents through real-time updates regarding outages and repairs.
- Spend revenue from water solely on upgrading and maintaining water infrastructure, not other municipal expenses.
- Start collecting outstanding water debts, amounting to billions, from areas such as Soweto.
Water supply disruptions will continue to cripple households, schools, healthcare facilities and businesses if action is not taken at once. The lack of reliable water supply is undermining both the local economy and residents’ quality of life.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep fighting for residents’ rights and to ensure the Metro fulfils its constitutional mandate to reliably provide basic services.
