Ratanda residents deserve clean water and dignity
Tsepo Mhlongo argues that Ratanda residents have been denied their constitutional right to reliable water and says the deaths during recent protests highlight the urgent need for decisive action.
Tsepo Mhlongo, Gauteng provincial leader, Build One South Africa, writes by email:
The people of Ratanda are demanding what is rightfully theirs: reliable water supply and dignified basic service delivery.
Access to water is a constitutional right, yet the community continues to suffer while promises remain empty.
It is impossible for any community to function without water.
WATCH: Premier visits Ratanda families as relatives of shot protesters demand justice
Children cannot go to school properly, businesses cannot operate, and families cannot live with dignity.
Water is life, and without it, there is no normal life.
The current crisis has already claimed two lives during community protests.
This tragedy should never have happened. It reflects the complete failure of leadership and service delivery by those entrusted to govern.
How many more lives must be lost before the municipality acts?
Ratanda deserves the same level of service delivery as every other municipality in South Africa.
Enough is enough. The time for excuses is over. The time for action is now.
Update: 15 arrested after Ratanda unrest as Gauteng government condemns mayor’s house attack
