Communities in Mpumalanga have appealed to Parliament to ensure the new Water Services Amendment Bill improves the lived experience of communities, particularly those with intermittent or no supply.
The Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee is currently holding public hearings on the bill that seeks to ban the private buying, selling and trading of water, allowing the department to revoke licences from failing providers and to intervene directly when taps run dry.
Among the concerns raised by residents at hearings over the weekend is the growing reliance on water tankers, whose supply often does not meet quality standards.
They’ve also raised concerns about corruption and poor governance at local government level, saying these factors contribute to the failure to provide sustainable water and sanitation services.
With the local government election looming, for communities who are battling water shortages, access to the critical resource is sure to influence decision-making at the ballot box.
Mpumalanga’s significant water supply problems have largely been attributed to infrastructure and delivery failures.
The Water Services Amendment Bill establishes minimum competency standards to prevent the neglect of water infrastructure and introduces stricter penalties for non-compliance, and unlicensed water service providers.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) provincial representative, Walter Mngomezulu, has claimed that authorities are not acting against those who are illegally tapping into water sources.
“Whether it’s a mine or a farmer, I can tell you by December, we are going back to Day Zero if that is not attended to.”
Meanwhile, Afriforum’s district coordinator, Hennie Bekker, said while the lobby group supports the bill, poor governance is largely to blame for the province’s water problems.
“We want to stress that giving the minister more power will not solve these problems unless there’s also independent oversight, clear procedural safeguards, and genuine accountability in municipalities.”
Bekker said residents are having to bear the brunt of municipalities’ failure to pay Rand Water for bulk supply.
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Lindsay Dentlinger
www.ewn.co.za
