Minister Nkwinti must open the taps in Giyani

It is good that new Water and Sanitation Minister Gugile Nkwinti went to see, first hand, the awful results of failed government service delivery.

Over the weekend, Nkwinti visited the Giyani area of Limpopo to assess for himself the position of these poor communities, who still have no water supplies, despite R3.5 billion of taxpayers’ money having been ploughed into an emergency project to supply water after two dams in the region dried up following several years of drought.

Unsurprisingly, the “presidential” rescue project was launched, with much fanfare, by former president Jacob Zuma. Its implementation was entrusted to one of his loyal supporters, the then water and sanitation minister, Nomvula Mokonyane.

At the time, Giyani was declared a disaster area and it was clear, following Nkwinti’s visit, that very little had changed. Once again, it is the people at the bottom of the pyramid – those most in need of help – who have been failed by government.

It is true that Nkwinti has inherited the mess and that the scandal is yet another item on the list of issues for which Mokonyane must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable. But the new minister must not use that reality as an excuse to delay taking action.

South African citizens have a right to basic services like clean water. Water is essential, not only to survival but to human dignity. To continue to deprive people of it is to violate their human rights.

We hope that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s tough approach to cleaning up government results not only in this specific mess being cleaned up, but also in measures that ensure such mismanagement does not again endanger the lives of our people.

And citizens have got to stop taking corruption and incompetence for granted.

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