AfriForum has launched a campaign that will force municipalities in Gauteng to comply with the 72-hour deadline for the repair of water leaks that was recently recommended by water and sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina.
The organisation on Thursday also launched an interactive platform www.waterkrisis.co.za on which Gauteng residents can report water leaks and through which the responsible municipalities’ recovery rate will be monitored.
AfriForum said the campaign was aimed at averting the imminent “Day Zero” in the province and reducing the loss of drinking water through leaks, which in Gauteng is estimated at about 33%.
As part of the launch, AfriForum put up 38 posters marking water leaks all over Gauteng.
During a session of the parliamentary portfolio committee on water and sanitation last week, Majodina said municipalities had no excuse for not repairing leaks within 72 hours.
“AfriForum agrees with her that the speedy repair of water leaks is a step in the right direction to combat the water crisis in Gauteng in particular.”
AfriForum said its branches in the province will continue to report leaks and put up posters in the coming weeks.
The markers also serve as a tool to make it easier for municipalities to see exactly where leaks are, and repair them. It said all leaks that were reported on AfriForum’s platform would automatically also be reported to the relevant municipality.
The public needed to complete an online form detailing the location (physical address or GPS co-ordinates) of the leak.
“We want to see that municipalities comply with minister Majodina’s order to repair water leaks within 72 hours. The losses are enormous and can be limited, but for that the municipalities’ commitment is essential,” said Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s manager for environmental affairs.
TimesLIVE
https://www.timeslive.co.za/authors/ernest-mabuza/
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