The AfriForum branch in Margate submitted a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) after ongoing water problems in communities served by the Ugu District Municipality. The HRC was requested to perform a complete investigation into these problems as it comes down to gross violation of residents’ rights.
According to Eugene van Aswegen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal, numerous residents were forced to go without water for days on end this year.
“This is contrary to national legislation and deprives residents of their basic right to water.”
Van Aswegen also says that water supply problems seem to increase during the holiday seasons, which creates major economic challenges for South Coast communities as many a tourist flocks here.
“The branch repeatedly tried to contact the Municipality in the past three years about the water problem and even submitted suggestions, but has thus far not receive any or very little feedback or cooperation,” says Wessel Pretorius, Chairperson of the Margate branch.
Van Aswegen says that similar problems occur in other parts of the province and that AfriForum will investigate possible suspect activities surrounding the water problems. The organisation has already submitted complaints to the Hawks in 2016.