ANC-run Water and Sanitation Department putting Ekurhuleni residents at risk
by Cllr. Ruhan Robinson — DA Ward Councillor in Ekurhuleni
Date: 20 October 2021
Release: Immediate
Type: Media Statement
The ANC coalition* led City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has shamelessly failed to deliver on Local Government’s mandate to create and promote a safe and healthy environment for the Boksburg community.
The Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution states that “Everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”. Yet, the CoE consistently and persistently fails to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
While overflowing sewers are not anything new to the residents of Boksburg, in recent months the response times have grown increasingly worrisome with some sewer overflows taking more than three weeks to be attended to.
In Boksburg North, close to the entrance of Laerskool Goudrand, an overflowing sewer that was reported on 23 September was still not attended to as late as 15 October, despite daily inquiries. This is not an isolated incident as the Water and Sanitation Department is perpetually failing to meet its own service standards in responding within a reasonable period. Several more incidents are reported daily, particularly in Beyerspark, Boksburg North, and Anderbolt and the delay in responding is unacceptable.
According to the Service Level Standard, the turnaround time for the resolution of sewer complaints is 48 hours, as indicated below. However, this is seldomly if ever achieved.
Of more concern, is that human resource constraints are often cited as a reason for service delivery delays by the Sanitation Department. As the DA, we find it completely absurd that the ANC-run CoE cannot attend to complaints or address service delivery issues because of staff shortages! Why is the CoE not ramping up the filling of vacancies in the Sanitation Department when the City is facing this enormous sanitation crisis?
The ANC and its coalition partners* have allowed the Water, Energy and Sanitation Department to become the neglected department of the Municipality, and they have shown no political will to address this urgent issue.
The DA cannot imagine a more tangible example of the decay of the City than sewers overflowing in residential areas. One can literally see and smell how the ANC-led coalition government has failed the residents of Ekurhuleni.
A DA-run Ekurhuleni will be committed and determined to deliver on the basic rights of residents by ensuring effective and responsive service delivery and prioritise the regular maintenance of municipal infrastructure and a full staff complement in all its departments.
A DA government will govern in the interests of the people by ensuring that every community enjoys a clean and sanitary environment.
#Time4Change
*ANC Coalition Partners: African Independent Congress (AIC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Independent Ratepayers Association of South Africa (IRASA)
Cllr. Ruhan Robinson
DA Ward 22 Councillor in Ekurhuleni
