DA Lays Criminal Charges Against Polokwane Municipality for Water Failures
The Democratic Allience (DA) in Limpopo laid criminal charges against Polokwane Local Municipality (PLM) officials for their longstanding failure to provide water supply to residents.
DA Limpopo Provincial Leader Lindy Wilson said, PLM in their legislated capacity as Water Service Authority (WSA) as well as Water Service Provider (WSP) to the Polokwane Local Municipality is implicated in mismanagement, non-compliance, and dereliction of duty.
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“Section 27 of The Constitution mandates access to water and the Water Services Act, 108 of 1997, stipulates that a consumer may not be without water for more than 7 full days per year. Areas in Polokwane have been subjected to no water supply for weeks and months on end”, said Wilson
- Ster Park is lucky to receive water 3 days per week.
- Sections of Kleineberg Street have not had water supply for over 4 years
- Areas of Ladanna have been without water for the last 4 days
- Eduan Park, Hospital Park, Moregloed and the bottom section of Bendor Park have not had water for months on end
- Magazyn, Rissik and Devenish Streets are currently without water for two days now
- A nursery school near Oos Skool had no water for ten days
Wilson said this is not an exhaustive list and is indicative of PLM’s flagrant disregard for our Constitution and the implementing legislation which ensures water provision.
“In 2023 the South African Human Rights Commission released a damning report with recommendations on Access to Water and the Efficacy of Water Services Authorities in Limpopo and found that Polokwane Municipality “acknowledged that it is not providing water to all residents within its jurisdiction”- these recommendations fell on deaf ears,” added Wilson
“The DA now laid criminal charges as we will no longer tolerate PLM’s disregard to execute their mandate to provide water; their days of acting with impunity are over,” she concluded