The Nama Khoi Local Municipality has expressed deep concern over the ongoing water crisis that has left residents without reliable access to water.
THE NAMA Khoi Local Municipality has lamented the dire situation that has left residents without access to water.
Nama Khoi municipal manager Jan Isak Swartz said on Monday that the Vaal Central Water Board (VCW) had failed to resolve the water crisis, citing ongoing efforts plagued by communication breakdowns and unfulfilled promises.
“In 2021, recognising the escalating crisis, Nama Khoi Municipality took the unprecedented step of filing a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). This complaint requested their intervention to mediate the challenges posed by VCW’s management and sought an order for the Department of Water and Sanitation to implement an actionable and enforceable plan to secure sustainable water resources for our people,” said Swartz.
He added that persistent challenges resulted in the municipality not being able to prepare for or respond to water interruptions.
“Despite these setbacks, Nama Khoi Municipality has gone to great lengths to ensure water provision for all affected communities. In the previous financial year alone, the municipality spent an estimated R3 million on additional resources to supply water to residents, in supplementing VCW’s inadequate efforts.”
Swartz noted that this was over and above the monthly water bill issued by VCW, which ranged from R2 million to R3 million.
“The most recent payment made amounted to R4.6 million. These exorbitant costs are unsustainable and undermine the municipality’s ability to address other critical service delivery needs.”
He added that persistent technical failures, including pump breakdowns, electricity disruptions and inadequate maintenance protocols, had exacerbated the crisis.
“Furthermore, the absence of an effective readiness plan from VCW to manage seasonal peaks and emergencies places our communities at greater risk.”
Swartz reiterated the municipality’s appeal to the SAHRC and the Department of Water and Sanitation to urgently intervene and hold VCW accountable for failing to meet its obligation under the Constitution to provide access to basic water services.
“Immediate implementation of an action plan is imperative to prevent further harm and to ensure the dignity and well-being of the Nama Khoi community.
“Nama Khoi Municipality remains committed to advocating for its residents and calls on all stakeholders, including VCW, Eskom and national authorities to collaborate transparently and effectively to resolve this crisis without delay,” Swartz added.
Vaal Central Water has yet to respond to media enquiries. The DFA will update this story as soon as a response is received.
