Matjhabeng is experiencing sudden, extreme water outages yet Council, as the executive and legislative authority of the municipality, is not being properly informed of reservoir levels, supply constraints, or the causes of declining water availability.
“If Vaal Central Water (VCW) is providing updates, these are clearly not reaching Council. We must be informed forthwith, consistently, directly, and in a format that allows oversight and public communication,” says Cllr René Steyn, DA councillor for the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
Steyn says the situation has deteriorated after councillors were summarily removed from the WhatsApp group where reservoir levels were previously shared.
Cutting elected public representatives off from critical operational information is irresponsible – René Steyn
“Cutting elected public representatives off from critical operational information is irresponsible. It undermines oversight, fuels misinformation, and damages credibility at precisely the moment residents need clarity. A credibility crisis is now unfolding. When no one is willing to publicly and clearly state what is happening with our water supply, a serious breakdown in credibility follows,” says Steyn.
Residents deserve the truth, not vague reassurances, rumours, or silence. The knock-on effects are severe: interrupted hygiene and healthcare routines, disrupted businesses, and escalating sewer overflows in an already strained system when water supply becomes intermittent or collapses.
Steyn emphasises there is no alternative but to engage councillors and the community with verified information and regular updates.
Alongside urgent engagement with the VCW, Steyn has submitted a proposal to municipal leadership and the head accounting officer to immediately address water leaks and limit water losses as a matter of extreme urgency.
“Matjhabeng cannot continue losing large volumes of treated water through unattended leaks whilst communities face outages. Reducing losses is one of the fastest, most practical interventions the municipality can implement whilst the bulk supply situation is clarified.
It is time to stop managing perceptions and start managing the facts – René Steyn
Steyn ephasises that it is time to stop managing perceptions and start managing the facts.
“If we want public cooperation and calm in an emergency, the starting point is simple: tell the truth, share the data, and communicate through the Council and directly with the public,” concludes Steyn.
