The DA says Nelson Mandela Bay’s water crisis is not due to supply shortages, but failing infrastructure and capacity problems, as it calls for Department of Water and Sanitation support.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for urgent national intervention in Nelson Mandela Bay’s water system, claiming that up to 100 000 residents are without water daily despite the metro’s dams being full, blaming infrastructure failures, maintenance backlogs and a shortage of technical skills.
The party’s Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal said the DA had submitted a dossier detailing what it described as the extent of the water crisis to Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina, Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams and the South African Human Rights Commission.
Odendaal said the party had also written to the mayor and acting city manager, calling for immediate interventions to address the situation.
“We have directed numerous communications to the mayor throughout this crisis. Since 14 January I have written to Minister Majodina no less than 11 times to request her urgent intervention. Despite these efforts our requests are falling on deaf ears,” Odendaal said.
