The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised alarm over what it calls Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina’s “lax attitude” toward communities living downstream of the Vaal Dam, warning that government’s current strategy leaves residents exposed ahead of a predicted wetter-than-normal summer.

Although the recent rainfall has eased for the moment, the Vaal Dam remains above 105% capacity — an unusually high level for the end of the dry season. In a parliamentary reply to DA MP Dennis Ryder, the Minister insisted that no planned releases would be made to create buffer capacity, arguing that evaporation and water consumption would naturally draw levels down before the peak rainy period.

Ryder said this stance ignores lessons from previous years, where sudden emergency releases led to damaging floods along the Vaal and Klip Rivers, affecting communities in Gauteng, the Free State and the North West. He warned that relying entirely on “natural drawdown” is risky, especially with forecasters expecting a wetter summer linked to a La Niña pattern.

In her written reply, Majodina stated that the dam is “structurally safe” at current levels and can store up to 126% of its designed capacity during flood events. She confirmed that no direct financial support would be provided to municipalities or residents in the event of flood-related damage, saying developments within the 1:100 flood line remain “at their own risk”.

Ryder said the DA placed the matter on parliamentary record to ensure accountability if later emergency releases cause harm. Residents and municipalities have been urged to monitor official updates and prepare for potential high-flow events over the coming months.