Municipalities are in the sewers

One of the most bitterly ironic corporate-speak mission statements is that of the SA Local Government Association, which says that its mandate is to “transform local government to enable it to fulfil its development mandate”.

So, how’s that going, then? Well, a municipal system has certainly been transformed: from functioning and delivering services to its residents and ratepayers, to one where its service provision is so substandard that it actually poses a threat to the lives and health of those same people.

As we report today, two-thirds of municipalities in South Africa are supplying unsafe drinking water to their residents. And three-quarters of towns and cities are discharging sewage effluent, which has not been treated properly, into our rivers and oceans.

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Of the 144 municipalities in South Africa which treat water for potable supply to at least 22 million people, 94 do not meet the microbiological limit requirements, according to official statistics from the department of water and sanitation.

In addition, 112 out of 144 (77%) municipalities which treat sewage effluent cause pollution of streams, rivers and oceans due to the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage.

While many smaller towns have been suffering because of “urban drift” – which has seen populations shrink and their economically active community providing less income in the form of rates and utility charges – a much bigger problem is that rampant corruption and incompetence have crippled service delivery.

Experienced water and sanitation engineers have been let go in the name of transformation and have, in many cases, been replaced by unqualified or inexperienced cadre deployees from the ANC.

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Experts need to be brought in and money invested into repairing and upgrading infrastructure so people get to finally live the ANC’s promised “better life for all”.