DA calls on Minister Sisulu to prioritise failing water supply in Benoni, Ekurhuleni
Joint statement by Cllr. Lornette Joseph — DA Councillor for Benoni Ward 27 in Ekurhuleni, and MP. Haseena Ismail — Benoni Constituency Political Head
Date: 28 June 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media statement
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ekurhuleni calls on the Minister for Water and Sanitation, MP. Lindiwe Sisulu, and the Portfolio Committee to ensure that the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) prioritises the completion of the Northmead Water Tower in Benoni as a matter of urgency; as well as provide a generator to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the pump station. A constant and uninterrupted power supply is required to pump water from the reservoir to the top of the existing Water Tower and ultimately to the resident’s taps.
The constant power interuptions experienced in the Metro, due to a lack of repairs and maintenance coupled with frequent load shedding, means that residents of the greater Benoni area are having to endure numerous water outages.
The delay in the upgrade of the Water Tower can be traced to poor planning and maladministration by the ANC-led coalition* in Ekurhuleni, who have appointed contractors on the project, but failed to complete the job, despite the Metro claiming that it was completed on the 14th of January 2020. This is clearly not the case as Benoni councillors receive complaints regarding water outages on an ongoing basis.
The DA submitted a petition to Council voicing the concerns of frustrated Benoni residents regarding the intermittent water supply related to the ongoing delays in the upgrade of the Northmead Water Tower and the fact that there is no generator at the existing pump station. The petition was subsequently escalated to Parliament. To date, the Metro has shown no sign of attending to the upgrade.
This is yet another example of the breakdown in service delivery under the ANC-led administration in Ekurhuleni, which has led to the continual suffering of residents. Water is a constitutional right, meaning that the Metro is in violation of the Constitution every time it cannot provide stable power to the pump station resulting in no water to the residents.
The fact that this issue has been escalated to National Government is indicative of the uncaring administration under the ANC and their coalition partners*. The DA will continue to hold the authorities to account to ensure that Benoni residents receive a constant water supply once and for all.
#Time4Change
*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)
Cllr. Lornette Joseph
DA Councillor for Ward 27 in Ekurhuleni
MP. Haseena Ismail
DA Benoni Constituency Political Head
