The Unemployed People’s Movement and the Water Crisis Committee are planning to test the water quality of Nelson Mandela Bay’s water on 15 September as part of WaterCAN water testing week.
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) residents, as well as residents from neighboring municipality, Makana, have been complaining about the poor quality and deteriorating conditions of their water system for several years now.
There have been cases reported of residents getting sick from drinking the tap water, even after having boiled it.
The Blue Drop report, which provides information on the quality and performance of Water Services Authorities (WSA’s), has ranked the Eastern Cape at the bottom of the scale in terms of its water quality.
“We do understand that quality access to clean and safe drinking water is indeed a human rights issue and that the realities that residents face, particularly of working-class communities, are in violation of their rights. We embark on this struggle as a way of ensuring accountability and putting a stop to inept bungling in our municipalities,” said Thandokazi Hewu of the NMB Water Crisis Committee.
Sipho Maboza, from UPM, added, “We also want to explore how we can collectively bring our municipalities to court for failing to deliver on simple human rights obligations and on how we claim accountability for working people who have been and are getting sick from the water that is provided by the Nelson Mandela Bay and Makana Municipality. It is time to criminally charge the municipal managers.”
It is for these reasons that the Unemployed People’s Movement and Nelson Mandela Bay Water Crisis Committee have planned to embark on a water testing campaign on 15 September in Gqeberha and Makhanda (Makana Municipality) as part of WaterCAN, an initiative of OUTA, Water Testing Week 14-18 September.
