A basic human right

LIMPOPO – THE DA has laid a charge with the Human Rights Commission after discovering that residents of Ga-Hlako and surrounding areas under the Blouberg Municipality are at risk of being diagnosed with cholera as they drink contaminated water daily. According to the DA constituency head for Blouberg, Katlego Suzan Phala (MP) the local municipality has failed to provide clean running water to the residents for the last five years despite allocating more than R80 million towards water provision for the last three financial years.

“In the same area, the municipality drilled boreholes and installed water tankers in 2014 but the tankers were only filled with water until December last year.

Now the residents are forced to risk their lives by sharing water with animals in the rivers and streams while others have to purchase water,” she said.

“The municipality is aware of the water crisis but still fails to fill water tankers as an interim measure,” Phala said.

Sharing water with animals is a clear violation of human rights and deserves to be investigated with immediate effect by the commission, she said.

“We will take samples of the water to a local laboratory to check if the water is suitable for human consumption and escalate the matter to the minister of water, Nomvula Mokonyane, she added.

Spokesperson for the Capricorn District Municipality, Moffat Senyatsi said even though it was arranged with the Blouberg Municipality to provide water through water tankers, these vehicles are in for servicing.

The two boreholes in the area also fail to provide water due to low water pressure.

According to Senyatsi, the water tankers will be operating by the end of the month.

He confirmed that 89% of households have access to water in the Capricorn District, and that monies have been made available in the capital budget to roll out water provision projects for the remaining 11% currently living without water.