Note to Editors: Please find pictures attached here Billboard-1 and Billboard-2 and Billboard-3 and Billboard-Video
Today, the Democratic Alliance unveiled a billboard carrying a simple message to the people of eThekwini: You can stop the water tanker mafia.
The billboard reads: “You can stop the water tanker mafia. Vote DA for water in your taps”.
The Mayor, City Manager and Head of Water and Sanitation appear on this billboard because the water crisis has worsened under their leadership. They are accountable for failing to repair the system that has made eThekwini increasingly dependent on tankers. If they did their jobs, we would not be at the mercy of a water tanker mafia in this city.
Under their leadership the City has failed to implement its own water turnaround plan. eThekwini now has approximately 13,000 active water leaks at any given time and loses an estimated 21 billion litres of water every month, around 700 million litres every day.
Clean drinking water is pouring into roads, drains and the ground while families wait beside the road for tankers.
This leadership failure has allowed emergency tankers to become a permanent substitute for working infrastructure. It has created an environment in which tanker interests benefit while residents suffer.
The DA has presented a credible Water Recovery Plan to repair leaks, rebuild ageing infrastructure, protect water revenue, restore technical capacity and reduce tanker dependence. Where the DA governs, we have proved that disciplined investment, maintenance and accountability can produce results.
The people of eThekwini do not have to accept dry taps, leaking pipes and endless tanker queues.
On 4 November, residents have the power to stop this failure.
Stop the water tanker mafia. Vote DA. Let us get water back into Durban’s taps.