DA in Kimberley threatens protest over water issues

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Northern Cape has given the Kimberley-based Sol Plaatje Municipality a 14-day ultimatum to its memorandum or face protests. The party marched to the offices of the municipality yesterday over water issues.

They say the ongoing water cuts in Kimberley and surrounding areas are negatively affecting schools, businesses and households.

The municipality has been implementing water cuts every night for months now.

The DA’s provincial leader Harold Mcgluwa says the issue has been ongoing for years.

“For five years now, the municipality has suffered under the water crisis. The reservoir is always off, the pipes always burst, and they don’t fix it properly. There is too much red tape within the municipality. The opposition parties that suit here, can take over this municipality.”

Meanwhile, the Sol Plaatje Municipality says it’s confident that it will stabilise the water supply situation in the area in less than four months. The municipal manager Thapelo Matlala says they have appointed a contractor to deal with major leaks due to damaged pipes.

“We have appointed competent contractors to be able to start attending to the water leaks and the site was handed over to the contractors on Monday and as I am talking now we are having a meeting with Ekapa Engineers. They were on sight the whole week, assisting us with recommissioning one of the clarifications. I am confident that in two to three months we will have stabilised the water supply in Kimberley”

VIDEO | DA joins frustrated Kimberley residents march against water cuts: