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The decision by the ANC-coalition's ActionSA Tshwane Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, to unilaterally disconnect electricity to a Johannesburg Water reservoir in Centurion while Gauteng is battling widespread water outages is deeply reckless and irresponsible.

Residents are currently without water due to an electrical failure at Rand Water’s Vereeniging system.

The issue is not the need for the repayment of debt owed to the City, but it is her reckless interference with an already constrained infrastructure system.

Johannesburg Water has issued several notices confirming that reservoirs are critically low.

Johannesburg Water has further warned that parts of the Commando System require two weeks of uninterrupted supply for water to be restored.

Moya’s recklessness has jeopardised this, and she should be ashamed. Had she simply consulted Johannesburg Water, she would know the crisis at hand.

Because of this action, residents of Crown Gardens, Berea, Brixton 1 and across Randburg, Roodepoort, may experience more of a water crisis for longer. This is what ActionSA has brought the people of large parts of the City today.

This impact will also affect other communities.

Residents of Johannesburg pay their rates on time but will now be held to ransom by the Mayor of Tshwane. That is governance overreach of a special and unscrupulous kind, at the hands of an uncaring Mayor.

Gauteng’s water system does not operate according to municipal boundaries. Rand Water, Johannesburg Water, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and other authorities depend on interconnected electricity, pumping, reservoir and bulk-water infrastructure.

A dispute over money between two government entities should be dealt with through the appropriate intergovernmental and financial dispute-resolution mechanisms - including the Department of Cooperative Governance — not by switching off infrastructure that residents depend on for water.

The Constitution and our system of cooperative government require municipalities and other organs of state to work together in the interests of residents. Essential public services should not become bargaining chips in intergovernmental debt disputes.

Mayor Moya must immediately instruct officials to restore electricity to the Johannesburg Water reservoir while Tshwane pursues the outstanding account through the proper channels. Johannesburg Water must, in turn, urgently explain the outstanding debt and settle any legitimate amount owed.

The DA demands an apology from the ActionSA Mayor of Tshwane who has disconnected the people of Johannesburg from their water supply, completely out of line with governance systems and channels.

Issued by DA Spokesperson on Water and Sanitation Stephen Moore