Water supply cuts is an ‘evil plan’, says union

The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) yesterday said it was disappointed by the water and sanitation department’s plan to cut off water supplies to defaulting municipalities.

General secretary Simon Mathe described the move as “an evil plan”, which would leave millions of South Africans without access to water.

On Monday, Water and Sani- tation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said the looming water cuts were not a punishment but were meant to force defaulting municipalities to pay their debts.

The department issued notices to at least 30 municipalities informing them that water supplies would be cut off on December 8, should they fail to settle their arrears.

Mokonyane said municipalities owe R3.8 billion, and water boards, the entities that implement department projects, owe R3.2 billion.

“It is very disappointing that Mokonyane, as someone who has ambitions of being in the national leadership of the ANC, could hatch such a plan without taking into consideration the ramifications particularly on the working class and the poor,” Mathe said.

“We understand that the country is facing a water crisis, but are of the view that this water crisis has been engineered particularly by the department of water and sanitation, under the leadership of Mokonyane, who has deliberately delayed the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, allegedly so her cronies can benefit from some of the contracts,” Mathe said. – ANA