Action SA hold public hearings into Hammanskraal water crisis

Action SA held public hearings over the weekend regarding the water issues in Hammanskraal.

Water experts and other community members spoke at the hearings.

Senior lecture in chemistry in Medunsa, Dr Dan Molefe said he found that the concentration of the water was so low which is not an allowable amount residents can drink.

Molefe said it is possible that the water may cause problems such as brown teeth, loss of hair and lack of calcium which may cause weak bones.

A resident of Temba, Neli Sebopa said the water issue in Hammanskraal has affected him and his family psychologically.

“We cannot even drink tap water from other places – that’s how paranoid we are. We only wash and bath with this water. I don’t know if they were any tests to check whether the water is safe to cook with or bathe with,” said Sebopa.

“We are not even sure that the water they bring in trucks is not the same water we are not supposed to drink. We all get diarrhoea once in a while; so who is to say these tanks have clean water? Maybe it is all lies by tenderpreneurs and corrupt officials who are supposed to monitor it.”

Another resident said there hadn’t been any water tankers in the area in the past two weeks.

“I don’t have a job, so I cannot buy water but I also cannot use the tap water.

“It might be that while I am here at the hearings, that the trucks are passing through. We never know when they will come through; you just have to listen to the hooters and then run to the corner. The councillor knows about this issue because we have had this problem for six years now.”

She said despite the water crisis, they were still expected to pay their water bills.

“I don’t even open my invoices anymore; but the last time I checked the bill, it was R10 000.”

Last week, Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said the plant in its current state was insufficient to serve the needs of the people in Hammanskraal.

“Not only do we need to update the equipment in this facility, but we also need to double its size.”

Williams said it was unfair for residents to pay for water used only for washing, toilets and cleaning.

“This was why we need to fast-track this project. We are providing water from Magalies and Rand Water,” said Williams.

He said the metro was currently paying R5-million for tankers to deliver water to residents.

“The sooner we get this project finalised, the sooner we can do away with those water tankers.”

Despite an invitation by the president of Action SA, Herman Mashaba, Williams said he would not be participating in the public hearings.

“A real need for a community is being exploited for political purposes, so I’m not prepared to participate in that.”

Former Tshwane mayor and utility MMC Abel Tau, who is now with Action SA, said there was no commitment to fix the problem faced by Hammanskraal residents.

“I know that this problem could have and should be solved if people who know what they are doing were put in the right positions.

“Secondly, they need to implement what has to be done. There is an informed master plan for the city that has been around from as far back as 2000.”

Tau said the plant was “very important” to the lives of Tshwane residents.

“We dare not relent on saying this plant needs to be fixed once and for all.”

Mashaba said it was unfortunate that Williams refused to participate in the hearings.

“This was an opportunity for the metro to come out and tell the people what they are doing to fix the problem.

“For them to refuse to come is very concerning.”

He said in the following few weeks, their team will prepare a report and make recommendations which they will then give to the metro.

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