The civil rights organisation AfriForum today submitted court documents against Rand Water in an attempt to force this entity to adequately restore the water supply to communities in Emfuleni.
Communities in Emfuleni have been experiencing serious water problems since February 2021 due to a decrease in the water pressure. Rand Water instituted this decrease in the water pressure as a credit control measure as a result of non-payment by the Emfuleni Local Municipality. This municipality has time and time again disregarded payment agreements with Rand Water and already owes Rand Water more than R1 billion.
The local municipality has according to reports paid the current account by the end of March, but Rand Water failed to restore the water pressure. Households are struggling to perform basic domestic duties due to the shortage of water. Some areas in Vanderbijlpark currently have no water and the community is dependent on water tanks with which water are transported. The decreased water pressure also has an impact on local businesses in the town.
AfriForum has subsequently decided to intervene and asks in its court documents that Rand Water is forced to immediately restore water supply to Emfuleni. The organisation also asks that Rand Water is prohibited from decreasing water pressure in future as credit control measure.
According to Stephanus Blignault, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the West Rand, Rand Water is violating the Emfuleni community’s basic human right to access to water. “It is important that we support the community until the water pressure has been restored. The community has had enough of maladministration up to the point where their right to basic service delivery has been taken away.”
Make a real difference in your community today and join your local AfriForum branch: SMS your name to 45342 (R1).