Rand Water's disregard for truthful communication matches their lack of commitment to transparency
4 October 2023
The DA in Gauteng is deeply dismayed by the evident hypocrisy displayed by Rand Water, both during and after our unannounced oversight visit today.
While we concur that Rand Water should set the record straight, achieving this necessitates their departure from the metaphorical glass house in which they engage in politicking regarding service delivery issues. Furthermore, they must make the telemetric data they so fervently attempt to conceal accessible to the public. Our request this morning was straightforward: present us with the statistics and data that substantiate your claims of adequate water supply, and we will cease our scrutiny.
It has now become apparent that Rand Water's professed commitment to apolitical transparency was nothing more than a charade, one they perpetuate by denying public representatives their rightful oversight, a duty we hold.
Their attempts to address inaccuracies conclude with the assertion that we were mistaken; the CEO of the entity was not the one being escorted by blue lights. This raises the pressing question, for which we demand answers: How many of Rand Water's executives benefit from VIP security and blue light escorts, and why?
The same courtesy and protection are not extended to public representatives whose lives are imperiled due to Rand Water's shortcomings. Such privileges would be unnecessary if Rand Water were indeed fulfilling its mandate.
Rand Water would be wise to recognize that all municipalities in Gauteng suffer from their inadequate service delivery. Embracing this realisation may lead them to abandon their flimsy statements and furnish us with the data we have repeatedly sought.
Hypocrisy and falsehoods—these are the echoes of Eskom's descent into crisis, and Rand Water seems to be following in their footsteps.
Rest assured, we will not cease our pursuit of the truth until it is finally exposed.
Issued by Solly Msimanga, DA Gauteng Premier Candidate, 4 October 2023
