AfriForum’s offer of assistance will help resolve De Aar’s water crisis faster
Barely 24 hours after De Aar’s water problems deteriorated to the point where taps ran completely dry, AfriForum approached the Emthanjeni Local Municipality and offered the civil rights organisation’s assistance to help restore water supply to residents.
This follows reports by residents of severe water interruptions since Sunday, allegedly because only a handful of the Municipality’s approximately 40 boreholes are operational. Taps in some neighbourhoods have run dry for at least two days, while other areas are experiencing low or inconsistent water pressure.
Lize-Mari Smit, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Karoo, says there are numerous households with limited or no access to alternative water points. AfriForum already addressed a letter to the Municipality on 12 February to obtain clarity regarding the extent of the water challenges so that a crisis such as this could be prevented. However, to date, the Municipality has provided no formal feedback on the state of affairs.
In AfriForum’s latest letter to the Municipality, the civil rights organisation offered, where practically possible, to provide specialist expertise, support and possible solutions where specific technical, infrastructure or operational challenges have been identified. AfriForum is meanwhile investigating the possibility of establishing an emergency water point in the area so that residents may have access to clean water when interruptions of this nature occur.
“Water is a basic human right and no community should be without it. AfriForum therefore calls on the Municipality to engage with us and other stakeholders so that practical solutions can be found without further delay,” says Smit.
AfriForum has meanwhile brought the situation to the attention of the Premier of the Northern Cape. The Premier will visit De Aar this week and AfriForum hopes that authorities will use the opportunity to engage with the community about the current crisis and to discuss possible solutions.
