PA/ANC-run municipalities can’t provide clean drinking water

The recently released Blue Drop Report, assessing the state of South Africa’s drinking water systems, reveals that eight water supply systems in the Western Cape are in a critical state. Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu presented findings on Tuesday, indicating that three systems demonstrated poor microbiological compliance, while five exhibited unfavorable microbiological water quality. The report emphasizes the substantial health risks these systems pose to communities.

Municipalities flagged in the report include Beaufort West (Murraysburg and Nelspoort), Hessequa (Jongensfontein), Kannaland (Ladismith, Van Wyksdorp, and Zoar), and Prince Albert (Klaarstroom and Prince Albert), all of which are governed by some combination of the Patriotic Alliance, the ANC, and local parties, with the exception of Hessequa, which is still governed by the DA.

The failure to meet E. coli standards, as highlighted in the report, may be attributed to operational inadequacies, faulty infrastructure, dosing issues, disinfection chemical shortages, monitoring lapses, or deficiencies in operational and chemistry knowledge.

Despite these concerns, the Western Cape boasts the second-highest percentage of drinking water systems with excellent or good performance (50%), with Gauteng leading at 62%. In contrast, the Northern Cape exhibits the highest percentage of systems with poor or critical performance (87%), a stark increase from 48% in 2014.

Specifically addressing Prince Albert Municipality, the report notes a lack of urgency in providing safe, sustainable potable water. Concerns include insufficient monitoring equipment, irregular residual chlorine measurements, and ad-hoc disinfection practices, all contributing to an insufficient operational control framework.

MEC for local government Anton Bredell underscores ongoing investigations into root causes and pledges support, encompassing training, infrastructure funding assistance, and technical aid. Municipal Manager Aldrick Hendricks acknowledges deficiencies in housekeeping and record management, reassuring residents of water safety while acknowledging the need for program adherence.

Meanwhile, the Northern Cape grapples with four water systems exhibiting poor microbiological water quality and 16 with bad microbiological water quality. Residents, such as Theo-Neil Williams, decry the water crisis persisting for over three years, emphasizing its violation of basic human rights amid perceived leadership incompetence.