Pretoria - The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Limpopo has put the blame on Premier Stanley Mthabatha’s office for the lack of water in the province.
Its provincial leader Victor Mavhidula said the government was not holding municipalities accountable for not delivering water to the people despite the province’s dams being full.
“We are blaming the government as a whole, including the Office of the Premier, for not holding municipalities accountable to bring communities water. There have just been too many excuses,” he told the Pretoria News.
According to Mavhidula, the Nandoni Dam was 80% full, and the De Hoop dam was also full.
“We can’t keep hearing excuses. They just sit and fold their arms and say we have water shortages while our dams are full. When you investigate you find they have not even submitted an application to the Water Department for a water grant. It’s high time the water problems are solved.”
The Chapter 9 institution held a four-day hearing in Polokwane last week, focusing on access to water and the efficacy of water services authorities within Limpopo.
For years the province has had a problem of providing water to the taps of thousands of communities, leaving scores battling to get drinking water on a daily basis.
The hearings also looked at the extent of the challenges experienced by communities in Limpopo relating to access to clean drinking water, and adequacy of measures put in place to address the water problem.
Community members, non-profit organisations, relevant government departments and municipalities were in attendance to give evidence.
The commission was yet to make its findings and recommendations after the inquiry.
Mavhidula said: “The inquiry all in all was a success and has already received updates that some communities have already received water tankers from the mayors and the municipal managers who were involved.
“We have also identified that the biggest challenge with the water issues is infrastructure. It is just dilapidated and needs to be renewed.”
Provincial government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela said: “We have sat down with all relevant stakeholders in the water forum and have intensified the work of the water forum. We have decided to meet regularly (every quarter) to review the water issue.”
Pretoria News