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PAIA application information exposes water and sanitation failures of the Chris Hani District Municipality

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Dear MyPE

Information contained in documentation received from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has now finally exposed the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) as the sole architect of the total failure of water and sanitation services in the district.

Last week, 1 September 2020, I received documentation regarding the failures of the CHDM from the DWS after successfully launching a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application in July 2020.

The documentation clearly states that the CHDM is not fulfilling its water and sanitation provision competency to residents. It also shows the Municipality has ignored letters, notices, briefs, pre-directives and directives from the DWS without any fear of being brought to book.

The Municipality’s complete disregard for the DWS has rendered the Department toothless. It highlights that the DWS is unable to fulfil its mandate of providing water and sanitation services to all South Africans.

A closer look at the responses received shows that no less than 41 notices, briefs, pre-directives and directives to the Municipality focussed on issues at water treatment works and pump stations in Cradock, Middleburg, Hofmeyr, Queenstown (Komani), Sterkstroom, Lady Frere, Indwe, Tsomo, Engcobo, Whittlesea and Klein Brak River.

Of these, we have been provided with copies of 17 pieces of correspondence and will be following up to request that the rest be provided as well.

Issues raised regarding the Wastewater Treatment Works and pump stations include them being non-operational over extended periods of time, the spilling of raw sewage and the inability to provide clean drinking water and to repair leaks, to name but a few.

We believe the information received to be the tip of the iceberg and that further revelations will come to light.

Last month the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) heeded the DA’s call to intervene in the total collapse of water and sanitation services in the CHDM and will be investigating the Municipality for human rights violations. The investigation follows after I submitted a dossier regarding these gross violations to the SAHRC.

The documentation received from the DWS, through our PAIA application, will now be added to this dossier to serve as further proof of how the CHDM is violating residents’ basic human rights to water and sanitation.

In February this year, I approached the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Lindiwe Sisulu, requesting her to appoint a Water Services Committee in terms of Section 51 of the Water Services Act of 1997. This would effectively mean that the water and sanitation competency would be removed from the CHDM.

I again call on Minister Sisulu to stand up and fight for the human rights of the people of the Chris Hani District and remove the water competency from the CHDM.

Furthermore, I will now write to the DA’s Shadow Minister of Water and Sanitation, Leon Basson, MP, to take this information to the national parliament and to put additional pressure on the Minister.

I will also meet with civil society, ratepayers organisations and farming communities and will hold discussions regarding legal options against the DWS and the CHDM if action is not taken by Minister Sisulu.

The DA will not stand idly by while the lives of our people are being endangered by an uncaring ANC government. The Water and Sanitation Competency must be removed from Chris Hani District Municipality.

Regards

Retief Odendaal, MPL
EC Midlands Constituency Leader

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