7 days without water, and no water tankers

THERE IS GRAVE concern and a sense of urgency regarding the recent and distressing developments in the ethekwini Municipality.

It has come to our attention that municipality management has allegedly instructed all tanker services to be halted, leaving residents without water for the past seven days.

The information provided to concerned councillors and myself is deeply troubling; we cannot fathom the consequences of such drastic and inhumane measures.

Access to a clean and reliable water supply is a fundamental human right, and denying residents access to it for an extended period is not only criminal but also epitomises a lack of care and compassion.

The situation within the ethekwini municipality is dire, and the consequences are dire for the affected residents now struggling to meet their basic needs. I implore you to immediately intervene in this matter before midday today to restore the water supply and address the crisis head-on.

I would like to remind people of the constitutional rights of all South African citizens. The right to water is enshrined in Section 27 of our Constitution, which guarantees the right to access sufficient water to meet one’s basic needs. It is the duty of the government, through your department, to ensure that these rights are protected and fulfilled.

In light of the severity of this situation, I have taken the liberty of copying this letter to the Public Protector and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to ensure that the relevant parties are informed of the urgency and importance of this matter. Additionally, I will submit a copy of this document to the office of the Deputy President.

We demand immediate action to address this critical issue and restore the water supply to the residents of the ethekwini Municipality. In doing so, I kindly request that the Minister of Water provide a prompt response to the Verulam Water Crisis Committee to assure us that the matter is being expedited and will receive the attention it deserves.

As concerned citizens, we trust in the minister’s commitment to upholding the constitutional rights of all South Africans and his dedication to ensuring the well-being and livelihoods of the people he serves. We fervently hope that he will prioritise this matter and take swift action to rectify this deeply distressing situation.

We trust that the minister will act swiftly and effectively to address the critical water shortage in the ethekwini Municipality.

ROSHAN LIL-RUTHAN | Verulam Water Crisis Committee