• Solly Msimanga, DA Member of Parliament writes:
The DA in Gauteng will be writing to Eskom regarding the current wave of load-shedding affecting the province and the country.
Load-shedding not only interrupts our workday but also the supply of water by municipalities to the various areas in the province. This week Joburg Water warned residents that they may experience low water pressure because of the higher stages of load-shedding that were implemented on Saturday morning.
Water is a basic right and the state-owned entity (SOE) Eskom is responsible for ensuring that we have access to a reliable supply of electricity and is to blame for the lack of continued water supply.
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The reservoirs used by municipalities to pump water to residents are reliant on electricity and if there is not sufficient pressure in the pumps, taps may run dry or there will only be a trickling supply of water.
It is high time that Eskom gets their house in order and does the job they are paid for through our taxpayers’ hard-earned money.
Municipalities do not have the budget to buy generators to run continuously during the duration of load-shedding which in some cases on Stages 5 and 6 can be for up to eight or ten hours per day.
Furthermore, the water infrastructure owned by the municipalities is at risk of collapsing which will cost even more money to repair.
The DA is demanding that Eskom as a matter of urgency puts plans in place that will protect all water reservoirs from load-shedding.
Eskom has had since 2007 to get their house in order and ensure that additional power stations are built so that the demand on the current electricity grid is eased.
The role of independent power producers (IPPs) is important now more than ever as this will add more generating capacity to the grid.
It is time that this SOE becomes proactive rather than reactive.
