Authorities must move quickly on Hammanskraal water crisis

After the disappointing tenure of former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, it’s refreshing to see Kholeka Gcaleka has hit the ground running in her new role.

Just days after being appointed, Gcaleka made a statement. The water crisis in Hammanskraal is of huge concern and Gcaleka cracked the whip when she gave authorities 60 days to come up with a plan to fix the dirty water in the area.

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In her report, it was found “residents of Hammanskraal are not receiving water suitable for human consumption due to a partially functional state of the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works”.

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The department of water and sanitation, elements of the City of Tshwane, National Treasury, the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs and the department of human settlements have been ordered to work together as a matter of urgency.

Danger to community: Why then the long wait?

Gcaleka said: “The lack of access to clean and potable water poses a danger to the lives of community members, constitutes a continuous gross inconvenience and improper prejudice to the residents of Hammanskraal.”

The unsafe water crisis is not limited to Hammanskraal alone.

What’s disappointing is that authorities have to be forced to fix the problem. Why must they wait for the public protector to get involved before acting?

The authorities have been given notice. They better move quickly