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Water crisis in Dr Beyers Naude as Eskom implements punitive power cuts

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Dear Editor

Residents of Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality are facing an unprecedented water crisis as Eskom implements a load reduction strategy with immediate effect due to the municipality’s continuous failure to pay Eskom what it is owed.

This effectively means residents will face an additional three 2-hour periods of loadshedding every day!

All eight towns in Dr Beyers Naude depend on boreholes for their water, which require electricity to power the pumps that draw the water. The boreholes feed into reservoirs, which then feed into the water supply.

With every period of loadshedding, these reservoirs run empty. As it stands, with the current loadshedding, there are areas that have gone without water for weeks.

Water tankers are carting water for hours every day. An additional six hours without power each day is going to be disastrous, particularly as we brace ourselves for 41?C today.

DA Councillors who serve on the Municipal Executive have called for an urgent Exco meeting today to discuss this current crisis.

Municipal officials must account for the absolute mismanagement of electricity revenue and their abject failure to communicate the situation to residents. It is believed that municipal officials were informed of Eskom’s decision several days ago. And yet, no attempt was made to inform residents or even Councillors.

Since the amalgamation of this municipality in 2016, the DA has consistently proposed that revenue from electricity sales be ring-fenced and paid over in full each month. We have also supported Eskom’s proposal to take over electricity sales on behalf of the municipality as part of a debt repayment scheme.

Both proposals have been ignored by the ANC-run municipality. They have even failed to meet their obligations in terms of paying the current account, and with each passing month, the debt has risen by around R11 million to a whopping R361 million!

The DA will also request that an undertaking be made to ensure that every available resource is used to ensure that residents have adequate access to water.

We are further engaging with civil society to determine a way forward to protect businesses and jobs from the harm being wrought by this latest bout of financial misconduct!

It is absolutely unacceptable that the failure of the Dr Beyers Naude Municipality to manage its electricity revenue has plunged its residents into a dystopian nightmare. Merry Christmas from the ANC!
 
Regards

Samantha Graham-Maré MP
Dr Beyers Naude Constituency Leader

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.