During a public meeting spearheaded by the DA on the most recent water outages in the uThukela District Municipality, the DA in the municipality, DAWN Leader Shehana Kajee, and residents concluded to petition National Government about the continuous water crisis.
The DA can confirm that the signed memorandum was officially handed over to the Office of the Municipal Manager on Tuesday and hereby thanks all residents who supported our petition in numbers.
We remain concerned that the provincial interventions to place uThukela under administration in 2018 has seemingly worsened the situation. The latest Auditor-General (AG) report raised concerns about the future viability of the District, as its liabilities outstrip its assets to the tune of R361 million.
Seeing as provincial administration delivered little results, the DA opted to direct this memorandum directly to Parliament and National Government.
Early in the previous decade, the governmental task teams indicated that bulk water demand will outstrip supply for the region towards 2019, yet the budgeted Spioenkop Dam Bulk Water Supply project was suspended for unknown reasons. The DA will drive to get this bulk water supply project that has already consumed millions, to come to completion. Bulk water supply will ensure future viability for the uThukela Region.
This municipality used to have a thriving industrialised economy in the towns of Estcourt and Ladysmith, but the lack of basic water services forced many companies to close, or relocate, along with many jobs and the prosperity of the region.
The DA trust that Parliament will enact its oversight role and will hastily assist the many residents that have been sitting without basic water services for several weeks.