Water crisis in GMM: Residents’ patience is drying up
Small march for now, but residents from Trichardt planning bigger action soon.
The ongoing water crisis that left Secunda, Trichardt and Bethal with dry taps for more than 50 days in some areas caused chaos in a council meeting on February 25.
Security guards stopped the community from entering the premises at 09:00 and only allowed entrance at 10:00. Then, only some members of the community were allowed to attend the council meeting because there wasn’t enough space for everyone.
Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma said the water crisis is not the municipality’s fault or because of non-payment. He said it is a result of Rand Water not pumping water at full capacity.
“Some days they pump at full capacity, other days they pump at less capacity. The community must understand, it is not only a Govan Mbeki Municipality situation. There are thousands of other communities that are also without water,” said Zuma.
“The municipality is looking for possibilities of alternative sources of water.”
People from especially the Trichardt community organised a few meetings and a peaceful march that kicked off on February 27 near Alzu in Trichardt.
About 30 people marched from Alzu to the Sasol Junction filling station and back. People shouted ‘We want water’ and held up posters and a big banner while they marched.
The organisers of the march said that while the physical turnout may appear modest in numbers, visibility and public engagement were significant.
“Hundreds of motorists and residents witnessed the gathering during peak morning traffic,” said one of the organisers. “Many showed support by hooting, waving, and recording the proceedings.
“The action successfully raised awareness and made the community’s concerns visible.”
The organisers are planning another protest action in about two weeks’ time and will share further details via the WhatsApp channel or the Facebook event page.
“We, as the community, will continue to pursue accountability through peaceful and lawful means,” said one of the organisers.
They made it clear that this protest action is not part of any political party. Several schools in Secunda had to close on Friday for the day because there was no water.
Ward 21 Clr and DA member, Fiona Pelman, said on Friday the ongoing water crisis is stripping people’s dignity away. “This crisis is still not being treated with the urgency it deserves,” said Pelman.
“While some areas in the Govan Mbeki Municipality continue to receive water, high-lying communities remain dry – exposing a clear and ongoing inequality in supply.
“The DA has repeatedly called for an urgent multi-disciplinary intervention meeting between the executive mayor, the municipal manager and technical leadership to implement practical supply relief measures for affected areas.
“This has not materialised. Residents are being told to wait until the council meeting in March for a study on an alternative water source. A tanker that residents must beg for daily is not dignified access and does not fulfil the constitutional right to water.”
Pelman said the DA calls for immediate recognition of the areas without water as a local disaster, an emergency technical intervention to restore equitable supply, direct accountability from the executive mayor and municipal manager and transparent daily communication to affected residents.
ALSO CHECK: WATCH: Branch committee and volunteers in Bethal take to puddles in protest
The DA posted on social media on February 24 about residents, especially learners, in Ext 4, eMzinoni, apparently being supplied with “filthy, contaminated water from an unmarked truck – a vehicle with no number plates and no visible compliance.”
This water was reportedly intended for delivery to a crèche serving small children.
Although the return of water to some areas, such as Ext 22, was reported over the weekend, the water presure was rapidly dropping yesterday (March 2).
Messages circulating on social media indicated that Rand Water was again pumping water at half capacity. The water levels at several reservoirs in the area are also still critically low.
@ridgetimesnews Peaceful march takes off. People are now peacefully marching from Trichardt to the bridge. Roads are open and the police are escorting the marchers. #Secunda #Bethal #govanmbeki
These include the reservoirs in the Bethal and eMzinoni areas, and the reservoir at Charl Cilliers is empty. The high-lying areas of Secunda’s Ext 22 and 23, as well as Trichardt, are again also affected.
According to a Rand Water statement of February 26, they abstract raw water from the integrated Vaal River system in accordance with an abstraction licence issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The base abstraction licence provides for 4 383 mega litres per day.
In line with the updated licence conditions effective from February 15 to June 30, Rand Water has been authorised to abstract an additional 200 mega litres per day.
When this temporary licence expires, the abstraction will be 4 936 mega litres per day until the end of September. Justice Mohale, media relations manager at Rand Water, said: “Of this volume, about 210 mega litres per day is supplied as raw water to licensed users, including Eskom, ArcelorMittal and other smaller users.
@ridgetimesnews People march back to Trichardt. Protestors marched from Trichardt the Sasol Junction filling station and are now making their way back to Trichardt. #Secunda #Bethal #govanmbeki
