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Tomorrow, 20 July 2023, the DA will lodge a formal complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) following the Mogale City Municipality’s inability to supply residents with water, leaving parts of the community without water for more than five days.

The situation in Mogale City is one of serious concern, despite a 21-day notice from Rand Water to the current executive, the municipality failed to plan accordingly, and reservoirs have now run dry. For the past week the DA has been working with private organisations to collect and distribute water to communities who would otherwise have had none.

The affected areas stretch from Kagiso to Krugersdorp, including formal and informal settlements, in the area. The most heart wrenching matter, however, has been the complacent manner in which the current executive mayor of Mogale City has bungled the handling of the situation.

Whilst members of the community had to fight for themselves, other private individuals had to set up watering points, where water was delivered by tanker. Old age homes were especially hard hit, leaving hundreds of elderly residents without the ability to cook, or even clean themselves. This not only infringes on the Constitutional right to access to water, but sends a clear message about how uncaring and cruel the current executive is.

Since last week the situation on the ground has deteriorated to the point where DA councillors are spending their evenings distributing water to affected communities.

The poorest among us, are always the hardest hit when shortages occur. But seeing families standing in the freezing evening cold simply to get enough water from a truck to be able to cook, never mind wash or flush toilets - is truly heartbreaking.

The question then arises, where are the Mogale City representatives who are supposed to be helping people now? The DA will not rest until this issue has been followed up by SAHRC, and those responsible for this disaster are held to account.

Issued by Cllr Tyrone Gray - DA Caucus Leader: Mogale City