By tomorrow (29 July), the residents of Welverdiend in the Merafong Local Municipality (Carletonville, Fochville, Wedela) will have been without electricity for exactly one month, and now their taps are running dry as well.
A water supply line from Rand Water to Merafong burst last Friday and reservoirs are basically empty.
Although the water pipe has since been repaired, Rand Water reduced the water supply by 20% in February, which means it takes longer for reservoirs to refill.
Large parts of Merafong are affected.
Merafong owes Rand Water a staggering R1,3 billion, and the Freedom Front Plus believes that the water supplier may further reduce supply due to the Municipality’s non-payment.
The party asked the Municipality to send more water tankers to the affected areas until reservoirs’ water levels have stabilised.
The transformer at the Frikkie van der Merwe substation still has not been repaired, despite the Freedom Front Plus’s request for immediate intervention by the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Jacob Mamabolo.
According to Maroela Media, seven Welverdiend residents have died during the prolonged power outage. One of them is Mr Sakkie Breytenbach, who relied on an oxygen machine for over eight years. He switched to solar power during the outage, but passed away on 6 July after the system failed.
Many Welverdiend residents cannot afford to purchase generators or use alternative power sources to, for example, prepare food.
The Freedom Front Plus holds Merafong directly accountable for this as it is failing to provide residents with proper service delivery. The people of Welverdiend should not have to bear the brunt of the ANC’s mismanagement.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep calling the Municipal Manager, Dumisani Mabuza, day and night to resolve this crisis.
