DEAR Editor,-
The DA demands that ANC’s Ugu district mayor Ntombifikile Gumede be held accountable to Hibiscus Coast residents who have been forced to drink salt water from their taps due to a lack of maintenance and proper planning by the Ugu District Municipality.
Mayor Gumede and ANC Ugu’s negligence in timeously implementing Ugu’s disaster management plan has led to a major water crisis. The inadequate future planning for the water needs of the district, and last-minute emergency responses, have led to salt water running from residents’ taps, in a situation which was preventable, despite drought conditions.
The DA advocates the constitutional roll-out of water as needy families have been left without access to water. The DA believes that every citizen has the right to fresh, clean drinking water.
The DA is committed to service delivery and has been driving the #NoWaterNoLife Campaign since February 2015. We believe that implementing the recommendations of the #NoWaterNoLife campaign is the best way forward to address the water crisis in Ugu District Municipality.
The #NoWaterNoLife Campaign calls for the immediate release of drought funds allocated to Ugu and held by COGTA; the speedy implementation of the berm reconstruction across the Mzimkhulu River to prevent salt water from reaching the pump station; and the use of bulldozers in addition to the excavators to move sand away from the Mzimkhulu River towards Sand Spit to prevent re-silting when spring tides reoccur.
RISHIGEN VIRANNA, MPL
DA KZN Constituency Head, UGU South
