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Should Water Services Be Removed from Failing District Municipalities in the Eastern Cape?

By

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance (DA) invites input from residents and stakeholders in the Eastern Cape to assess the successes and failures of District Municipalities serving as Water Services Authorities. This feedback will guide a potential petition to the Department of Water and Sanitation to transfer water service responsibilities away from underperforming municipalities.

In recent years, water services were transferred from local to district municipalities. However, service delivery in many areas, particularly rural communities, has significantly declined. The 2023 Blue Drop Report highlights this trend, revealing a sharp drop in performance among Eastern Cape Water Services Authorities:

  • Amatole District Municipality: 59.5% in 2023 (down from 80.2% in 2014)
  • Joe Gqabi District Municipality: 56% in 2023 (down from 74.7% in 2014)
  • Alfred Nzo District Municipality: 54.8% in 2023 (down from 62.9% in 2014)
  • Chris Hani District Municipality: 45.3% in 2023 (down from 83.45% in 2014)
  • OR Tambo District Municipality: 56.7% in 2023 (up from 41.2% in 2014)

The findings illustrate severe challenges in fulfilling the Water Services Authorities’ mandates under the Water Services Act.

Stats SA estimates that about 1.4 million people and 578,000 households in the Eastern Cape lack access to piped, potable water. Additionally, 25,000 households rely on unsafe, non-potable water sources such as rivers, streams, and dams.

The DA calls on stakeholders to share their experiences regarding water service delivery in these municipalities. Your input is crucial in determining whether intervention is needed to improve water access across the province.

How to Participate

Please send your feedback to retiefodendaal@telkomsa.net. Together, we can hold failing municipalities accountable and work toward a better future for the Eastern Cape.

The DA is committed to advocating for improved service delivery. Let’s take action to ensure everyone has access to clean, safe water.

Regards

Retief Odendaal MPL
DA Shadow MEC for COGTA

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Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.