Radical changes need to be made
AFTER a month away, I returned to find Cape Town seemingly unprepared for the massive humanitarian crisis perhaps six to eight weeks away.
It’s not a possibility, it’s a reality that the city will run out of water. And if radical changes are not made, perhaps in just a few weeks time, will result in disease, economic meltdown and quite possibly loss of vulnerable lives.
If people (particularly the poor or old) die, this could dwarf Marikana and Life Esidimeni as an example of how things should not be done. And if people have not cut their use – either by request, fines or increased tariffs – should their water not be cut off, because it’s the poor and infirm who might pay with their lives for their selfishness and arrogance?
Also, why are the authorities not encouraging/ subsidising the harvesting of water off the existing roofs and gutters of buildings so that the coming winter rains are not largely lost?
The 200 collection points need to be set up as a matter of urgency for trial runs, and I don’t see water tankers. And where are the dams to supply these tankers with water?
Many rural South African live off 10 to 15 litres of water a day and we in the city will have to learn to survive, at least for this summer, on much less than the 50 litres currently allocated.
There seems to be no realisation of the urgency and amount of work and testing required to get through this. And no credible plan and implementation for next summer or medium- to longterm solutions.
Why are our leaders pussyfooting around this topic, not even being prepared to – even now – fully advise on the certainty of this crisis? MIKE PICKSTONE-TAYLOR Franschhoek