(Photo: Andres Siimon / Unsplash)
The City of Tshwane is now obliged by the court to quickly approve a budget to end the lack of water supply in parts of Hammanskraal and Vastfontein, a problem that has been exacerbated by councilors’ inability to appoint a new mayor.
In early March, residents submitted an urgent application to the High Court in Pretoria to compel the city to supply drinking water to residents, after the metro suddenly stopped sending water tanks to the area. The problem arose shortly after former Tshwane mayor Randall Williams resigned from his post.
Residents are dependent on water tanks as the Rooiwal sewage plant has not been maintained for years. The shortage of water has a significant impact on farmers in the area in particular, who depend on the water tanks to water their animals.
An interim order is up 3 March granted, under which the metro was forced to provide water tanks to residents. However, this water is still not enough to meet all the residents’ needs, says adv. Hendrik van Staden, who represents the residents.
The contract with the suppliers of water tanks expired at the end of February and because a new mayor has not yet been appointed, the budget and appointment of a new contractor could not yet be approved.
“This is an example of how political games have a real influence on residents’ lives,” Van Staden said. “Unfortunately, it is no longer like in the old days when ordinary people served in the council and worked together in the best interest of the residents.”
The court consequently ordered the parties on Friday to set up a water supply working group, which must meet on the issue no later than 28 March. According to Van Staden, members of the working group must determine before that date how many people and animals in the area need water and how much water will be sufficient to meet their needs. According to Van Staden, this has so far been difficult to determine.
Among other things, the working group must consist of members from the departments of water and sanitation, housing and human settlement, the treasury and the department of group legal and secretariat services. The respondents, including Gert Vogel, a farmer in the area, must also form part of the working group.
The municipality then has until June 28 to approve a budget to ensure adequate water supply to the affected areas.
The election of a new mayor was postponed for the second time on Wednesday and hopefully the election will now take place Tuesday during a special council meeting.
