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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has successfully amended a motion by the ANC-led coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay, halting their efforts to increase water tariffs for all consumers – even households who are using less than their allocated kilolitres per month.

Today, 28 June 2022, during a sitting of the Nelson Mandela Bay council, ANC mayor, Eugene Johnson, tabled a motion to move the city from Part C to the higher Part D of the tariff table.

The DA succeeded in successfully amending this motion to ensure that those households who comply with the allocation of 9 kilolitres per month, will now pay a lower tariff. These low-water users have been moved from Part C to Part B of the tariff table.

We supported the raising of tariffs for high water consumers who use more than 9 kilolitres per month. These water wasters have been moved to Part D of the tariff table.

When the City of Cape Town was facing dry taps in 2018, imposing higher punitive tariffs greatly assisted in reducing consumption and avoiding Day Zero.

The DA believes the only way of preventing the imminent disaster of 40% of our city running out of water, is to drastically reduce water demand from 257 Megalitres (Ml) a day to the allowable 230 Ml a day.

Until recently the city was still using more than 280 Ml a day and we would like to applaud residents who are clearly already making a massive effort to reduce consumption.

The DA will do all it can to assist residents during this unprecedented drought – we are in your corner, fighting for you.

Issued by Cllr Dries van der Westhuizen - DA NMB Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Engineering