R380 from AfriForum ends Belfast’s drinking water drought

6 January 2016

AfriForum intervened in Belfast on 5 January 2016 after extension 2’s drinking water dried up.  Residents were without drinking water for about six days.

The crisis started as a result of bad service delivery and maintenance by the Emakhazeni Local Municipality. Mr Chris Nkosi, the Municipality’s head of technical service delivery, was compelled to buy a pipe with his own funds to solve the problem, as the Municipality did not have the financial means to do any maintenance. Hein Gonzales, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for Mpumalanga, will reimburse Mr Nkosi and then claim the money back from the Municipality. The previous pipe was unable to cope with the workload and a larger pipe had to be installed.

“Before AfriForum’s intervention, the Municipality made no effort to address the problem. Neither did it provide water trucks with drinking water to residents, even though it is required,” said David Spohr, Chairman of the local AfriForum branch. “Mr Nkosi did the maintenance work in cooperation with AfriForum, thereby establishing a very amicable cooperative relationship.”

“There is money for luxurious, new cars and airplanes, but never for maintenance to ensure that communities have access to drinking water,” said Gonzales. “This action once again proves that the ruling party does not hesitate to violate residents’ constitutional rights to benefit of self-enrichment.”

Become involved in your local AfriForum branch. SMS “Water” to 45350 (R1).

Statement issued by Hein Gonzales, Provincial Coordinator: Mpumalanga, AfriForum, 6 January 2016