Johannesburg - While the Ekurhuleni Metro and Rand Water play the blame game, hundreds of the municipality’s residents have little or no water.
Areas such as Tsakane, KwaThema, Duduza, Brakpan, and surrounding areas have had no water for about two months now.
Residents of Tsakane took to the streets in protest, an act that caused destruction to road infrastructure as protesters barricaded major roads with burning tyres, rocks, and other destructive debris, making it difficult to have free movement in the township.
The City of Ekurhuleni blamed bulk supplier Rand Water for the lack of water in certain areas.
Member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance, Nkululeko Dunga, speaking in an interview with one of the talk-radio stations, said after learning about the problem, meetings have been held since last Thursday in Tsakane.
Dunga said that as much as their infrastructure is ageing, there are no challenges to the infrastructure owned by the city. He blamed Rand Water.
“Rand Water is at fault here … We do not owe the entity anything; we spent about R10 billion on them, but they are not supplying sufficient water,” Dunga said. He said they have tried to explain the situation to consumers.
On Wednesday, it was said that large parts of the municipality were experiencing water supply interruptions due to an electrical fault at Rand Water’s Zuikerbosch water treatment plant.
The metro said the fault, which was caused by a storm, resulted in insufficient water supply to customers in most parts of Kempton Park, Germiston, Nigel, Duduza, Tsakane, Brakpan, Bedfordview, Edenvale, Midstream, Clayville, Tembisa, and surrounding areas.
Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the latest turn of events could take them back to where they have been for weeks now.
“Despite this, we have taken a decision to prioritise the normalisation of the supply in Tsakane, KwaThema, and Duduza, considering their challenges in the past month. In the meantime, all affected areas will be allocated roving water tankers as and when the need is identified,” Dlamini said.
ActionSA in the area blamed the metro’s MMC for water, sanitation, and energy, Leshaka Manamela, for a lack of services, while the municipality blames Rand Water.
ActionSA Ekurhuleni caucus leader Siyanda Makhubo, in an interview with one of the broadcasters, said what is happening in the city is rather sad and unfortunate.
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo was contacted for the right of reply, but did not comment at the time of going to print.
Meanwhile, City of Ekurhuleni mayor Sivuyile Ngodwana and MMCs are visiting the area to hold a stakeholder meeting with the community.
The Star