The Democratic Alliance in Ramotshere Moiloa has launched an urgent petition to force the Ngaka Modiri District Municipality to provide water to the communities who have been deprived of their Constitutional Right to have access to water for nearly a month now.

The petition will be handed to the Mayor and Municipal Manager, and the North West Legislature.

Residents of Leeufontein, Braklaagte, Lehurutse, Ntsweletsoku, Madutle and Matlhase have been forced to buy water from other residents who have boreholes installed in their homes just to be able to drink, cook and bath. 

This water crisis has been escalated by the DA to the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, but it appears that the District doesn’t care to solve this most serious water problem.

In the interim, ANC connected cronies are being paid to deliver water by water tankers. This smacks of the ANC benefiting out of a crisis it created, and the petition will demand that the use of tankers be audited and exposed.

It is unacceptable that communities are left dry – especially in these areas where temperatures rise above 30 degrees. The DA condemns this careless attitude of government, which does not deliver services it is meant to.

While pipelines, worth millions of rands, lay wasted and unused due to failure by the municipality, escalating water tanker costs are costing the municipality dearly. The DA believes that there is a deliberate delay in installing proper water infrastructure.

The procurement of the incomplete water infrastructure and pipes must also be investigated as they lay wasted despite being paid for. These pipes should be installed to bring water to our people, and yet they are not delivering water because there is a real failure of government ongoing in Ngaka Modiri District Municipality.

This is a true case of the ANC showing that it governs as if the lives of people do not matter.

The Constitution provides for the right of access to sufficient water. It is the municipality’s responsibility to ensure that this right is fulfilled.

Issued by DA North West