AfriForum has urgently requested the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to resolve various water issues faced by communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group sent a letter to Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu after the receipt of complaints from communities about water shortages and water councils that lowered water pressure owing to non-payment by municipalities.
The communities affected include Sundra, Brits, Bloemfontein, QwaQwa, Kamieskroon and Klippunt, said AfriForum environmental affairs manager Lambert de Klerk.
“AfriForum requested the water councils to increase water pressure to non-paying municipalities so that South Africans may have access to water during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
AfriForum will provide support where possible and continue to report on any other problems that emerge.
“In view of the current state of disaster, we call upon you to issue a directive that all municipalities and water boards must adhere to about the water problems that we will face in the next weeks.”
AfriForum said that complaints had emerged from the Sundra community, where water provision has allegedly been reduced on the back of apparent nonpayment.
The Bloemfontein and QwaQwa communities have been experiencing water shortages, while the Brits community has reported water supply problems over the past week.
With no electricity to pump the water to the households, the Kamieskroon community is reporting water supply challenges, while the Klippunt community is experiencing water pressure problems and water shortages.
AfriForum has requested the DWS, MECs, Premiers of provinces and water boards to comply with its request; that the necessary steps are taken to bring relief to the effected communities by increasing water pressure or erecting water supply points and that water boards should increase water pressure to those municipalities where it has been reduced to ensure that the affected communities have sufficient water supply.