DEAR Editor;
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ugu District has written to the Eskom CEO André de Ruyter pleading for his urgent attention with regards to planned electricity upgrades in the coastal areas of the district.
The coastal villages of Port Edward, Leisure Bay, Glenmore, Munster, Palm Beach, Trafalgar, Marina Beach and Southbroom, plus a vast area inland of these villages, in the Ingonyama Trust, are home to some 89 000 residents.
Eskom has failed everyone living in this area by failing to implement the upgrade of the electricity supply to the Umtamvuna water treatment works from the Eastern Cape.
Eskom was paid R14-million for the planned upgrade in February 2020 by Ugu District Municipality and did schedule the upgrade for mid-December last year.
Nothing happened.
We have now been reliably informed that the upgrade will only take place in April 2021.
Recently, we have been experiencing severe water shortages in the entire area, some residents have been without water for weeks at a time.
One of the main reasons is because the water treatment works does not have the power to pump sufficient water to the reservoirs and then to the taps.
This is a tourism-reliant area, where many livelihoods are at risk because of water shortages.
We also have a large percentage of elderly folk who suffer dreadful hardships trying to carry water for their daily use into their homes.
This water often has to come from rivers far from rural homes which add to their difficulties and health risks.
The extra power would enable Ugu to keep enough water in a currently empty storage dam, to supply the area with water for approximately 21 days in hard times.
We find it totally unacceptable that Eskom can ignore the plight of so many people and we insist that this upgrade is carried out urgently.
The ANC government continues to let the people of Ugu down.
It has been years of water struggle in this region and no one seems to care about the residents.
CLLR STEPHANIE BREEDT
DA Ray Nkonyeni Councillor
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
