James Farr
VANDERBIJLPARK. – No water for more than a week in a local street.
This was reported on behalf of residents by David de la Rey on October 20.
Mr De la Rey said the whole of Jannie de Waal Street in SW1 had been without water since the previous Sunday, October 14.
A related water crisis at Mimie Fouriehof Flats in Vereeniging, substantially populated by old, disabled tenants who needed buckets of water for toilets because they lived at upper levels, fetched a formal response from the Emfuleni Local Municipality, ELM.
ELM explained that water reductions to high-lying areas might look like total cuts, but these are illegal because water is classed as a vital resource.
ELM also rejected the notion that water reductions targetted specific areas in pursuit of demographic transformation. ELM linked reductions to its payment arrears arrangement with Rand Water and to the fact that water-supplies are negatively affected by higher terrain.
At least one bitter commentator predicted anonymously that reductions will tend to affect areas numerically dominated by residents who pay rates and taxes but fail to vote for the ruling party.
Many people are mystified by ELM’s reduction argument as they have no water whatsoever.
It is widely argued that this explanation provides ‘plausible deniability’ for infrastructure that continues to disintegrate due to a total absence of maintainance, repair or replacement.
