Warrenton residents in the Northern Cape continue to suffer the aftermath of the February floods, which left a trail of destruction. Four months later, the Magareng Municipality is still unable to restore water supply.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) leader, Kenneth Meshoe, met with municipal officials earlier this month. Meshoe was told that residents will have water by no later than the 15th of June.
The ACDP Member of Parliament, Marie Sukers, says they have now escalated the matter to the National Assembly and will continue to put pressure until there is water in the area.
“The ACDP has been consistently putting pressure on the municipality as well as the provincial departments for urgent relief to the community. The Deputy Minister has made a commitment that her office will formally respond in regards to the visit, and she made known to me that there will be national disaster relief funds made available to the municipality. It is our hope, as the ACDP, that these funds will be channeled to reach people affected the most,” she says.
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The MEC for Cooperative Governance, Bentley Vass, says his department is also worried about the delays in water restoration, and they are working closely with the Department of Water and Sanitation and municipalities to solve the water crisis.
“I assure you that we are working closely with the Department of Water and Sanitation and municipalities to sort out the water challenges in our communities and municipalities. Work was disrupted on Saturday, 10th of June when the pressure of the water was too strong, and it damaged the work on the pipeline. This setback for water supply to the community, as the river is currently at full capacity, and the municipality cannot send people to the site until the river levels come down.”
