‘Blame water shortage on apartheid’
People in townships and other areas are not keen to use their own airtime to try to report leakages
ERIK EILERTSEN writes:
There is a perception that we, the minority, blame the majority for wasteful water usage.
To a large extent this is true, because one only has to see the informal car washes where no water is reused. People open taps and leave them running and seeing a tap flowing for no good reason, can’t be bothered to walk over and close it.
Worse, however, is the power that the masses – the majority – have to force change and if they put their weight behind this campaign, the results could be amazing – but it isn’t happening. Many people never see the mainstream media and perhaps don’t even comprehend the seriousness of the situation.
People in townships and other areas are not keen to use their own airtime to try to report leakages, when they have to hang on for ages and get third degree questions asked of them – so the municipalities must set up completely free, dedicated water-wise lines and take the campaign to the people.
And don’t try to question people about it, if they have taken the time to respond – take the information down and let the person go.
Finally, having set this in motion, action must happen. There is nothing as demotivating as to comply with the campaign and then never see anyone respond to the report.
To see the water running for days afterwards. The result then is: Why bother? This is when the power of the people can make a difference – march on the town offices and yell at the authorities to get themselves in gear (but don’t go burning, destroying and looting, please).
And yes, this forum is probably not the right one (this started as a FaceBook comment on an article) for bringing this suggestion to the attention of the authorities and perhaps it ought to be addressed to the right authorities – but who? So I will start with a letter to Kempton Express – everyone else encourage (people to do the right thing) in your areas if you think this is a sensible suggestion.
Oh and huge swathes of the minority are equally – even more – guilty because they love their gardens and disdain these campaigns, then complain when water is cut off – so yes, the minority needs to come to the party too in a great many cases.
