Samwu lays the blame at Mokonyane

Union says water cut-off plan is “evil”

The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has blasted Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s decision to cut water supply to 30 municipalities‚ describing it as an “evil” plan.

“The South African Municipal Workers Union has learnt with disappointment the plans by the Department of Water and Sanitation to cut off water supply to more than 30 municipalities‚ an evil plan which would essentially leave millions of South Africans without water – which is by the way a basic right‚” the union said yesterday.

Mokonyane announced on Monday that her department had issued notices to 30 defaulting municipalities‚ demanding that they make arrangements to pay their share of R10.7-billion owed to several water authorities before Friday next week.

If no action is taken bulk water suppliers will throttle supply, which will have to “replenish” their water reserves by paying up.

The 30 municipalities are among 186 local government structures that owe money. Close to R7-billion of this debt is 120 days and older.

“It is very disappointing that Mokonyane could hatch such a plan without taking into consideration the ramifications.”

Samwu said it understood the country’s water crisis‚ however‚ it believed the crisis had been engineered by Mokonyane’s department‚ who “has deliberately delayed the Lesotho Highlands Water Project‚ allegedly so her cronies can benefit from some of the contracts”.

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