The FF Plus sent an official letter to the Free State Premier, Ms Sisi Ntombela, demanding urgent intervention in the ongoing water crisis in Parys.
Parys falls under the Ngwathe Local Municipality in the Free State.
As a result of the crisis, clinics, hospitals and schools in the area have been without water for three weeks on end.
In response to the FF Plus's letter, the Premier confirmed that the national Department of Water and Sanitation has been approached for assistance with mitigating the water crisis.
She also undertook to request that water tanker trucks be made available in Parys, Skonkenville and Thumahole, and to approach the Defence Force for additional assistance.
Violent protests broke out this week due to the ongoing water and service delivery crisis in the Municipality.
Various roads were blocked, fires were started, and the local economy and households incurred much damage.
The FF Plus has for years been asking that the water and power infrastructure in the Ngwathe Municipality must be properly maintained and upgraded. It has deteriorated to a shocking state.
Power outages as a result of load shedding are compounded because the outdated infrastructure often breaks down when the electricity is so frequently turned off and on.
This leads to water shortages because the reservoirs cannot be adequately filled.
The direct cause of all this is the lack of proper governance and the political will needed to prioritise infrastructure upgrades and maintenance.
These outages have caused a humanitarian crisis, which amounts to the gross violation of human rights.
Although the Premier confirmed that there is indeed some form of intervention on national level, the FF Plus will continue to insist on a decisive intervention strategy.
This strategy must not only stipulate reactive steps, but must also indicate, develop and implement long-term solutions.
The residents of Parys and Ngwathe deserve better than the ANC.
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