MyPE

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EC government must intervene in Burgersdorp water crisis

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Dear MyPE

The residents of Burgersdorp are bearing the brunt of government inefficiencies, and in some cases spend up to ten days without running water, even though the local supply dam is at 80% of capacity.

The cause of this suffering is the inability of the Joe Gqabi District Municipality to fulfil is water provision competency, and the Walter Sisulu Local Municipality’s lack of capacity to procure a transformer that would ensure the electricity supply to the local pump station.

In mid-June of this year, the pump station at the JL de Bruin dam was vandalised. Since then the pump station has been non-operational and, as a result, no water can be pumped from the dam to be treated at the Water Treatment Works.

Burgersdorp now relies on only seven boreholes to sustain its water supply, even though the JL de Bruin dam is at 80% of capacity.

This town has been hard hit by drought, and for years now water restrictions have been in place. Residents currently only get running water every second day, between 06:00 and 12:00. Some residents go as much as ten days without water in their taps because the pump station is out of operation.

A suburb in Burgersdorp, called Harmonie, was always self-sufficient with a borehole supplying water to the reservoir that serves that area. This borehole has collapsed, and despite my call to refurbish the borehole, expensive water carting continues to this area.

Schools, clinics and hospitals are being impacted by these water disruptions – all whilst the Covid-19 pandemic is spreading at a rapid rate in the Burgersdorp area. A month ago, approximately 100 learners tested positive for Coronavirus at the Ethembeni Senior School in Mzamomhle. Many learners had to be taken from families and quarantined in other towns.

I will now ask DA Eastern Cape Shadow MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Vicky Knoetze, MPL, to take this matter up with the Eastern Cape MEC for CoGTA, Xolile Nqatha, to request immediate intervention.

The DA will not stand idly by while the uncaring ANC government endangers the lives of our people. Access to clean drinking water and a functional sanitation system are basic human rights which need to be protected at all times.

Regards

Cllr Marina van Zyl
Joe Gqabi District Municipality

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