Note to Editors: Please find an English Soundbite by Cllr Nicole van Dyk here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg is deeply disappointed in Rand Water’s recusal from daily water update meetings alongside Johannesburg Water and public representatives, amid the water crisis faced by the City’s residents.
It is no secret that entities under the City’s command struggle with basic functions like communicating effectively, whilst trying to meet even the smallest semblance of service delivery standards, Rand Water’s exit from crucial communication meetings will only serve to exacerbate the current situation. We refuse to accept that.
We will, as soon as possible, write to Johannesburg Water, as well as Rand Water to find out what the reasoning behind this dooming decision is.
These meetings created a space where various stakeholders could engage on the pressing issues the City face, especially in a sphere as interwoven as water, these daily engagements assist us in keeping residents informed, whilst creating the space to mitigate ever increasing negative emotions towards the City and its entities.
If we receive even less useful information than we currently get, this will no longer be possible.
The question, however, following an unceremonious exit becomes: Is Rand Water negating their responsibility, and what, if anything, will Johannesburg Water do to mitigate these increasingly difficult circumstances?
We are currently in dire straits in Johannesburg regarding our water infrastructure. Councillors are running all over the city trying to find tankers and get answers. As I speak to you now, I am on site dealing with a burst that is affecting my own ward and three others.
For months, we have been asking for a disaster management plan for Johannesburg Water, especially after the incident in March where Ikane was down for four days, causing many suburbs to go without water for fifteen days. What was the disaster management plan then? The Mayor met with councillors and Rand Water, along with Johannesburg Water, promising a plan which we are yet to see both at the council level and in the committee.
This issue affects all 135 councillors across the city, who are all struggling to manage the network issues.
Johannesburg’s water crisis is worsening, Midrand has been without water since Sunday (21 July 2024), with little to no communication from Rand Water, who is the responsible entity.
We demand that Johannesburg Water start providing us with real answers and improved service delivery. Residents deserve this, especially when they are now being hit with bills that include a 7.7% increase in water charges. Surely, they should be receiving the quality service they are paying for.