Dying diggers of Namaqualand need saving
by Andrew Louw – Northern Cape Premier Campaign
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Date: 20 November 2018
Release: Immediate
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is reiterating its call to the MEC of COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, to urgently address the water crisis in Gamagara municipality.
This comes after two months of water disruptions in Kathu and Olifantshoek culminated in a violent protest on Friday.
While the water shutdowns are the combined effect of a failure in leadership, management and basic maintenance, they are above all due to the municipality’s inability to settle outstanding debt to the value of R14 million, owed to Sedibeng Water.
Despite overwhelming evidence to this effect, Gamagara municipality, as recently as during Friday’s council meeting, continues to dismiss Sedibeng Water’s account and flatly denies that the water utility has been imposing water restrictions since September because of the debt.
The attempted cover-up by the Mayor and the MM is insulting to the local community, especially when it is public knowledge that towns further down Sedibeng’s line have no such supply interruptions, such as Hotazel, Black Rock and the rest of Joe Morolong.
It is thus no surprise that the failing ANC’s chronic lies and a dire lack of communication to the desperate residents of Kathu and its surrounds, have caused tempers of residents to flare.
For what it is worth, the DA is calling on Coghsta MEC Bentley Vass for the third time, to take action by placing Gamagara Municipality under administration.
It is, however, increasingly clear that the failing ANC will never accept responsibility for its failures and that it has no idea how to rectify the financial distress that Gamagara Municipality currently finds itself in.
In the meantime, the DA has been doing what it can to assist the community with a temporary solution by providing at least some water to residents in Kathu via a private borehole at the Bestwood development.
However, only change under a DA-led government will ensure that bills are paid and water supply is restored and sustained to all the residents of Gamagara in the long term.
Media Enquiries
Andrew Louw
Northern Cape Premier Campaign
082 383 6914
Chrystal Limburgh
Researcher
079 2260 991
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