THE Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has called on national government to establish a Water Services Committee to take over the management of water supply and sanitation services from the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM).
Currently, CHDM provides water and sanitation to six local municipalities, namely Inxuba Yethemba, Enoch Mgijima, Intsika Yethu, Emalahleni, Engcobo and Sakhisizwe. However, in the past few years, communities in these municipal areas have been suffering under what the DA described as CHDM’s inability to effectively manage water and sanitation services and maintain infrastructure.
Residents in (among others) Cradock, Cofimvaba, Hofmeyr, Middelburg and Tarkastad, often face unexpected and prolonged periods of water interruptions, sometimes lasting weeks on end.
The party said that while the town dam on the outskirts of Komani was full, the town often had to deal with empty taps.
The DA said that CHDM’s inability to manage sanitation had led to a far-reaching environmental disaster in the Eastern Cape, claiming that every waste water management plant under the control of the municipality was dysfunctional, resulting in raw effluent flowing into and contaminating the very same resources used to provide drinking water to communities and irrigation supply for farmers.
Jane Cowley, MPL in the Enoch Mgijima constituency, said CHDM had consistently failed in their mandate to manage sewage treatment plants in and around Komani.
“Sewage spills are a regular occurrence, and it has even caused illness in animals.
“In Ilinge, an unmarked vehicle consistently and regularly dumps sewage illegally into a dam that is used by the animals living there. The situation is untenable, and CHDM must be held to account,” Cowley said.
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“I have called on the minister to establish this water services committee in terms of Section 51 of the Water Services Act, which will revoke CHDM’s competency to manage water and sanitation,” Odendaal said in a media release last Thursday.
“Should the minister not take action immediately, the DA and other community organisations will likely approach the courts for appropriate relief so that a legal precedent can be set in the removal of water competencies from incompetent municipalities.”
CHDM spokesperson, Thobeka Mqamelo replied, “The municipality is unfortunately not privy to the letter and contents referred to. However, the municipality is always open and committed to engage on any matter relating to our core mandate.”
