14-day deadline for stakeholders to draft workable water solution for defaulting municipalities
30 November 2017
The Portfolio Committee on Water has resolved that threats by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to cut water supply to municipalities is not a viable solution to resolve the challenge of defaulting municipalities that owe the DWS and water boards substantial amounts of money.
Considering the needs of citizens, the Portfolio Committee resolved that alternative solutions must be found and reassured the public that water cuts will not be implemented from 8 December.
To this end, Committee has instructed the executive authority of the DWS, the National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to devise within 14 days a viable plan to solve the longstanding challenge.
Plans presented to the Committee indicated the continuing disjuncture between how various departments intend dealing with the challenge. “The Committee realised that the departments have not consulted on how to deal with the matter, hence the different ideas presented. We have, as a result, instructed the executive branch of these departments to meet and give political direction to this impasse. The Department of Cooperative Governance must drive the process towards achieving a cogent plan to resolve this matter. At the centre of the plan must be the good of our people,” said Mr Mlungisi Johnson, the Chairperson of the Committee.