Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum demands that SAHRC and co intervene in Upington water crisis after requests to Municipality fall on deaf ears

ByAfriForum 04/02/202604/02/2026

AfriForum today escalated the ongoing water crisis in Upington and surrounding suburbs to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for urgent intervention, after the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality ignored the organisation’s requests. AfriForum yesterday addressed a formal letter to the Municipal Manager demanding answers regarding the water outage. The Municipality was given 24 hours to respond in writing but by 12:50 today no response or even an acknowledgement of receipt had been received.

The water outage was also referred to the Z.F. Mgcawu District Municipality, the Northern Cape Premier, the Northern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and the Northern Cape Department of Water and Sanitation to intervene and hold the Municipality to account.

According to residents, the water outage has been ongoing for several days – with many areas experiencing low to no water supply – amid extreme heat, which is putting residents’ health at risk. In addition, alternative water supplies are unevenly distributed with some communities having no access to emergency water points.

AfriForum is further concerned that the cause of the water outage has not yet been officially determined; that no timeline for repairs has been communicated to residents; that no comprehensive plan regarding emergency water supply has been made known to all affected areas; and that no responsible municipal official has been designated to manage the crisis and communicate with the community.

“Water is a constitutional right, not a privilege. The continued lack of water, combined with poor communication and a total lack of accountability, indicates a serious service delivery failure that requires immediate intervention,” says Lize-Mari Smit, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Karoo.

AfriForum is still demanding written feedback from the Dawid Kruiper Municipality on its questions. The organisation will continuously monitor the situation and consider further steps if the Municipality does not meet these basic requirements.